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FELTON — San Lorenzo Valley High School veteran Sandie Gilliam has taught for 25 years, written textbooks, mentored other teachers and served on numerous state and local committees.

Now she’s being recognized for her work with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

"I spend all of my spare time trying to do a top-notch job," Gilliam said.

"This is really a wonderful recognition for my career, which is more than a job to me."

The award is the nation’s highest honor for math and science teachers at the kindergarten through 12th-grade level.

The award program was established by the White House in 1983 and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Gilliam is the first local teacher honored under the program.

"She’s what I consider an exceptional teacher," San Lorenzo Valley High Principal Connie Benton said.

"She meets the needs of all kinds of students, from the absolutely brilliant to those who struggle with math."

Gilliam is to go to Washington, D.C., in March to pick up the award and consult with colleagues and federal legislators.

The National Science Foundation picks up the tab for the trip and provides each recipient’s school with a $7,500 grant to promote math and science education.

Gilliam started her teaching career in 1975 and has taught at San Lorenzo Valley since 1982.

She led the effort to implement an innovative but controversial math program in the 1994-95 school year.

The Interactive Math Program, a problem-solving approach combining various strands of math in each year’s study, was expected to replace more traditional math courses such as algebra and geometry at the school.

But in 1999 parents revolted, demanding traditional courses be offered along with the newer program.

Gilliam said the award represents a vindication of her efforts.

"I am so deep into math in all its parts that when parents criticized the unfamiliar methods, it hurt," she said.

The traditional courses are offered along with the newer approach, which is supported by the National Science Foundation.

The presidential award is the second national recognition Gilliam has received this school year. In December, she was one of 12 county teachers who earned a national teaching credential after finishing a comprehensive evaluation of her work.

The credential came with a $10,000 bonus from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a nonprofit group founded in 1987.

Gilliam is a mentor teacher in the district and also has worked to improve math instruction throughout the state as the lead evaluator for the Mathematics Renaissance reform initiative funded by the National Science Foundation and the state Department of Education.

She is also the chairwoman of business outreach for the California Mathematics Council.

Contact Donna Jones at djones@santa-cruz.com.

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