Shenandoah Alumna, Doctoral Candidate Wins Loudoun Teacher of the Year
Math Teacher Kim Jackson Says SU Was ‘Mind- and Eye-Opening’
Kim Jackson, a Shenandoah alumna who is pursuing her Doctorate in Education at the university, has recently been announced as the Loudoun County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.
“I’m still pinching myself because I never ever, ever thought it would happen to me,” said Jackson, MBA, MHA.
Jackson currently teaches AP statistics at Riverside High School but has taught all levels of math from middle school to high school. She credits her achievement to the supportive environment fostered at her school and the administration that took the time to see what she was doing and to nominate her for the award. Her colleagues say that Jackson earned the prestigious recognition due to her ability to build relationships and make learning about math fun, whether conducting a study to see if yawning is contagious or comparing the number of chocolate chips in different cookie brands.
“We need to make math exciting and inviting to everybody.
Kim Jackson, SU Doctoral Candidate
There are 95 schools in Loudoun County and about 12,000 licensed faculty members. Jackson is the first math teacher to win Teacher of the Year for Loudoun County Public Schools.
In 2013, Jackson received her administration certificate at Shenandoah in the Division of Education and Leadership (previously the School of Education and Leadership). Her experience and her impression of SU faculty were so favorable that she returned in 2017 to pursue her Doctorate in Education in educational leadership. She currently has completed the three years of coursework and is finishing up her dissertation, which should be done by the fall.
“Shenandoah, the whole way, has been both mind- and eye-opening for me. I’m a lifelong learner and want to go as far as I can in education. The really neat thing is Shenandoah forces you to do both qualitative and quantitative work. I love that they deliberately ensure that students experience the productive struggle in both halves of their brain.
Kim Jackson, SU Doctoral Candidate
Jackson is most passionate about promoting math equity, where students have the opportunity to take math courses of all levels at their school. Some schools in the U.S., according to Jackson, don’t offer necessary math courses, such as Algebra II, that serve as prerequisites for future math classes like calculus and statistics. This keeps students from attaining certain levels of achievement.
“Math is a gatekeeper,” Jackson said. “Typically, every course leads to the next level. When students take higher courses in math, it increases their likelihood of applying to college, being accepted, persisting and the likelihood of getting a STEM degree.”
Jackson is originally from Pittsburgh and has a daughter who attended Shenandoah. Jackson won a National Association of Teacher Educators Scholarship in 2019. Her goal is to continue promoting math and math equity, making math applicable and enjoyable to students, and possibly training other educators.
