Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching
Each year, outstanding educators are honored and celebrated during our annual Mathematics Educator Appreciation Day Conference (MEAD)!
Pictured at left are early-career recognized teachers, including finalists Chassidy Frohman, Esteban Manriquez, and Valeria Regalado, along with awardee Colin Grogin.
Pictured at right are mid-career and veteran recognized teachers, including finalists Alfred Battu, Noelle Perreira, along with awardees Blais Cross and Jolene Horn.
The CRR and the Arizona Association of Teachers of Mathematics (AATM) partnered together to bring you these awards. Students, parents, colleagues, and school leaders from across the state nominated hard-working teachers who go above and beyond. The Awards Committee had the privilege of reading each nomination and honoring mathematics educators who exemplify innovation, take thoughtful risks, provide strong instruction, and actively encourage and support their colleagues in improving mathematics teaching and learning.
Early-Career Teachers - Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Award: The Early-Career category was created by CRR to recognize teachers in their first five years of teaching who regularly take risks, try new ideas, reflect on their practice, and learn from experience as they grow toward success. These teachers also encourage their colleagues to try new ideas and join them in these efforts.
Mid-Career & Veteran Teachers - Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Award: Outstanding mid-career and veteran teachers not only take risks and try new ideas, but they also bring their colleagues along as they continue to grow. They create classrooms that serve as rich spaces for innovation, and their interactions with other teachers inspire powerful ways to help students learn mathematics.
2026 Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Awardees
Colin Grogin
Early-Career Awardee
“I have been implementing teaching principles from Building Thinking Classrooms in my 2nd-grade classroom to focus on clear conceptual understanding and vibrant mathematical discourse... I am constantly learning how to adapt our scripted curriculum to be more inquiry-based. Since this is my first year teaching 2nd grade after looping with my 1st graders from last year, I am simultaneously learning the curriculum unit by unit while thoughtfully adapting it to meet my students’ needs. Through trial and error, I was able to add small-group interventions into the curriculum. With all of these changes, my students' math identities are much more positive!”
Laguna Elementary School - Flowing Wells USD
Blais Cross
Mid-Career & Veteran Awardee
“My favorite data story focused on using math to uncover barriers that prevented students from accessing school breakfast. Through data collection, surveys, and analysis, the Data Diplomats crafted a compelling narrative that convinced our administration to change the bell schedule, ultimately giving more students the opportunity to start their day with a meal... Teaching this year has reaffirmed my belief in the importance of culturally responsive teaching and the power of connecting students to the world beyond the classroom through data, storytelling, and community voices. Through every survey, graph, and conversation, my students proved that math is more than numbers—it’s a tool for change.”
Bisbee High School - Bisbee USD
Jolene Horn
Mid-Career & Veteran Awardee
“Math should be a messy journey full of revision and risk-taking. I engage mathematicians in investigations and projects that connect them to the world around them. We frequently like to get things “wrong” and keep trying new ways until an idea makes sense to us. We are okay with unfinished ideas at the end of a class! I have grounded myself in the 5 Equity Practices…and I also use a cycle of reflection to focus on student participation: Who is contributing? How often? How am I facilitating conversation and responding to student ideas? I collect data, reflect on it, and take action.”
Imago Dei Middle School
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Early-Career Finalists
Chassidy Quidachay Frohman - CE Rose K8, Tucson USD
“Giving all students opportunities to share their ideas and representations helps us to understand that we all think and problem solve differently…This was a new way to showcase mathematical thinking and although it seemed intimidating at first, especially with little learners, it was enjoyable to see so many ways of thinking in one classroom!”
Esteban Manriquez - Pueblo High School, Tucson USD
“The structure of any lesson I give is…allowing the students to work towards discovering and learning the main ideas through their [collaborative] work. All key ideas must come from students. When a group makes a connection, comes up with a new idea, or has work on their board that can progress the lesson, their work gets highlighted to the whole class, usually by having the class gather around while THEY explain what they came up with.”
Valeria Regalado - Centennial Elementary School, Higley USD
“[After changing to an approach that focused on student exploration and agency], I saw major growth and a love of math from my students that I didn't see before. This helped to encourage me to take further risks and not be so scared to let my students figure things out on their own. I saw the benefits of hands-on exploration and how important it was not to hold their hand through every step.”
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Mid-Career or Veteran Finalists
Alfred Battu - Pierson High School, Nogales USD
“My mathematics classroom is a lively learning space where students view mistakes as chances to improve instead of failures. I use hands-on projects to make math practical and meaningful, so students learn by doing.… I constantly refine [my teaching] based on student feedback, treating learners as partners in the improvement process while demonstrating persistence, flexibility, and the belief that understanding is always attainable.”
Noelle Perreira - Chaparral Elementary School, Higley USD
“I have taken intentional risks in my mathematics instruction by embracing new practices that push students to think more deeply and take ownership of their learning…This work has challenged me to step outside traditional structures and redesign how students engage with mathematical problem-solving. I hand-craft tasks that require students to reason, make connections, and justify their thinking…This shift has dramatically increased engagement, perseverance, and mathematical conversation. I have seen students who were previously hesitant in math begin to take intellectual risks because the environment feels safe, visible, and shared.”
Continue Scrolling for Previous Awardees and Finalists
2025 Awardees
Elliot Beck
Early-Career Awardee
“Elliot is diligently implementing practices from Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) with much success and recruiting other colleagues to join him in trying new ideas in teaching. His students are solving quadratic equations and can derive the quadratic formula with fluency using the innovative 'Quadras Method' inspired by James Tanton. He almost fades into the background as his students transform into a well-oiled machine, eagerly building on each other’s ideas and reinforcing their thinking."
Mountain View High School - Marana USD
Rebecca Graseck
Mid-Career & Veteran Awardee
“Rebecca's classroom blends culturally relevant mathematics instruction with Building Thinking Classroom practices with strategies for a linguistically diverse classroom. She uses flexible seating, advanced organizers, and hands on activities in her classes. She was selected to model the implementation of Culturally Relevant Algebra teacher lesson study process due to her innovative practices that other teachers could learn from. Becky is also coordinating a district-wide initiative to limit the amount of district opted-in standardized tests because she believes in protecting instructional minutes.''
Catalina High School - Catalina Foothills SD
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Early-Career Finalists
Cara Jones - Weinberg Gifted Academy, Chandler USD
“Cara Jones exemplifies excellence and resilience in mathematics education as a kindergarten teacher. Her innovative spirit extends to building a unique team-teaching model with her two colleagues. Together, they share a large open space and a smaller adjoining space, mixing and collaborating with all students. This approach fosters a community where children see all three teachers as their own, creating a supportive, dynamic learning environment”
Finlay Parsons - Tucson High Magnet School, Tucson USD
“Finlay uses data talks as part of students’ everyday classroom routines and connects with his students in a way that promotes a safe space, allowing for the sharing of ideas, even those that may not lead to the right answer. He also incorporates culturally relevant approaches to help students excel in his class. He is always open to collaboration, both with other teachers and with his students.”
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Mid-Career or Veteran Finalists
Cinnamon Conrad - Alice Vail Middle School, Tucson USD
“In my approach to teaching mathematics, I believe that risk-taking and trying new ideas are essential to helping students not only grasp mathematical concepts but also see how these concepts apply in the real world. I’m committed to expanding my knowledge base by attending conferences and workshops where I can learn new strategies and innovations in teaching. This allows me to bring fresh ideas into the classroom and adapt my approach to meet the diverse needs of my students.”
Aiyana Smith - Imago Dei Middle School
“From the beginning of the school year, students are shown that taking risks and making mistakes are the way to learn in my class. We use the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 'Rights of a Learner' to establish our classroom culture and the first right is The Right To Make Mistakes. Learners not only have the right to make beautiful mistakes, but the responsibility to respect others' mistake-making processes because I truly believe a room without risk-taking is a room without learning. I not only expect this from them, but from myself and my colleagues. At the beginning of every quarter I allow students into my classroom-crafting process. I tell them what I attempted last quarter, where I failed and where I will make changes. They also give input into where they want their classroom to grow. This risk taking and vulnerability transfers into their own goal-setting to really drive their own learning experience. ”
Thomas Gribble - University High School, Tucson USD
“My obsession over the past five or so years has been trying to create a learning environment where students are truly not afraid to take risks and make mistakes. For example, this year I am not giving grades. I spent weeks coming up with a system where progress would be maintained in the gradebook throughout the semester while a tremendous amount of data collection and reflection takes place in the background. Students can completely 'bomb' a test, but the only thing they'll see from me are comments and questions that push their thinking. No numbers, no letters, no grades, no judgment. So students make adjustments and end up doing better next time. They focus on learning now, not just getting a good grade.”
2024 Awardees
Kathryn Manning
Early Career Awardee
“Kathryn connects with her students and builds strong relationships with them.” “She tries new techniques and ideas whenever she sees that her current method might not be as effective as she'd like. She is very data-driven and knows exactly where her students are struggling and what concepts they have mastered.”
Western School of Science & Technology
Eric Jungbluth
Mid-Career & Veteran Awardee
“Eric always looks for ways to help students making meaning of mathematics. He emphasizes productive struggle, group work, and reasoning skills. Students understand in his classroom that they all must learn from each other. Even students who previously felt unsuccessful in math flourish in his classroom and develop a sense of themselves as mathematicians.”
Hendricks Elementary - Flowing Wells USD
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Early-Career Finalists
Heather Smith - Bales Elementary, Buckeye ESD
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Manish Joshi - Gallego Intermediate, Sunnyside USD
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Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Mid-Career or Veteran Finalists
Lochani Senia - Cragin Elementary, Tucson USD
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Paulina Botello - Las Brisas Academy, Liberty ESD
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2023 Awardees
Kaela DeArmond
Early-Career Awardee
“Kaela collaborates with her colleagues as well as school and District Math coaches. She is also willing to learn right along with the students. In her classroom, mistakes really are learning opportunities for everyone.”
Arredondo Elementary - Tempe ESD
Lisa Johnson
Mid-Career & Veteran Teachers Awardee
“Lisa is a leader that encourages others as easily as she shares and receives feedback on her own teaching skills. She serves on a leadership team ensuring that quality instruction is taking place in all of our classrooms.”
Coyote Trails Elementary - Marana USD
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Early-Career Finalists
Carly Mahan - Blenman Elementary, Tucson USD
Lyndi Ramos - Ronald Reagan Elementary, Tucson ESD
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Mid-Career or Veteran Finalists
Adam Scafede - Dove Mountain CSTEM, Marana USD
Paulina Botello - Las Brisas Academy, Liberty ESD
2022 Awardees
Delia Sotelo O'Campo
Early-Career Awardee
“Delia looks for new and different ways to teach concepts, to capture all her students' learning styles. She differentiates her lessons and provides intervention support as needed...she truly is an innovator, encourager, and leader here at Mission View Elementary.”
Tucson USD
Mabel Rivera
Mid-Career & Veteran Awardee
“Mabel is beyond exceptional in every way. Most notably, she embodies what it truly means to have students engage in meaningful, relevant, projected-based, integrated learning...She truly deserves this recognition as a role model for others and in recognition of the tremendous amount of time, effort, and passion she puts into her work.”
Amphitheater PS
Excellence & Resiliency in Mathematics Teaching Early-Career, Mid-Career, or Veteran Finalists
Denise Murphy - Liberty ESD
Vanessa Lopeaux - Sunnyside USD
Allison Ryal-Bagley - Liberty ESD
Elliot Beck - Sunnyside USD
Qiong Joanna Williams - Vail SD
Vanessa Lopeaux - Sunnyside USD
Kelli Barton - Liberty ESD
Kerri Zitar - Chandler USD