Greenlawn Terrace Elementary's Troy Hobson Wins Presidential Award for Excellence
Presidential Award for Excellence: Troy Hobson from Jefferson Parish Schools on Vimeo.
Greenlawn Terrace Elementary’s Troy Hobson has won the nation’s highest honor for a K-12 math and science teacher. The fifth-grade math teacher is one of four Louisiana educators announced by President Donald J. Trump as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
Hobson is in his tenth year as a teacher at Greenlawn Terrace Elementary and Jefferson Parish Schools. Hobson, along with the other Presidential Award winners from across the nation, will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., where he will attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities. He also receives a $10,000 award and a Presidential certificate.
“Congratulations to Mr. Hobson for being recognized as one of the very best educators in America, ” said JP Schools Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. “It is an honor to have him represent our district and our many talented teachers on the national stage.”
Hobson has spent all 10 years in the classroom at Greenlawn Terrace Elementary, where he started as a substitute before being hired full time. Along with math, he’s served the school in a number of subjects including science, social studies, and English language arts.
Hobson has also taken on leadership roles at his school. He mentors other educators and leads professional development sessions through the district’s Ignite Teacher Leader and Content Leader fellowship programs.
“I really like the light bulb moment when a kid starts to get a skill,” said Hobson. “I love it when I can get them excited about learning math and mastering problems.”
Three other JP Schools teachers have won the Presidential Award since 2011: Metairie Academy’s Claudia Suazo won the award in 2018, Ruppel Academy’s Kristen Mason received the honor in 2016, and Terrytown Elementary’s Paige Falcon was honored in 2011.
Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award given by the U.S. Government to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science.
A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the State and national levels assess the applications before recommending nominees to OSTP. Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Awardees come from schools in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, and schools in the United States territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Nominations and awards are facilitated by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation.