Dotson nominated for Presidential Award

Queen City High School mathematics teacher, Lesley Dotson, was recently nominated for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. The Awards were established by Congress in 1983, and the President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year.

Mrs. Dotson’s love of math began early on in her education, and with several educators in her family, it made sense to her to follow in their footsteps.

After graduating from QCHS, Mrs. Dotson obtained her degree and teaching certification from Texas A&M University in Texarkana and returned to her alma mater to do the only thing she could ever picture herself doing...teaching math.

She has served the children of Queen City ISD in a variety of roles over the years by teaching Kindergarten, third grade math, fouth grade math, Algebra I, Algebra II, Mathematical Modeling, Financial Math, Pre-calculus, Calculus, and College Algebra. She currently also teaches Project Based Learning and oversees the QCHS Gifted and Talented Program.

Mrs. Dotson wants kids to understand that mistakes are part of the learning process and NOT something to fear.

She hopes to create a safe space where deep learning is achieved while simplifying the math and helping students understand the “why” and not just how to solve a problem.

When notified of her nomination for this award, Mrs. Dotson said, “I am extremely honored and humbled by this nomination. I have never had such a prestigious opportunity in my career. I value the opinions of our administrators, and to know one of them valued my teaching enough to nominate me for this particular award is a moment in my educational career that I will never forget.”