Three VBCPS teachers recently received awards from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Recruitment and Retention Incentive Award is geared toward attracting, recruiting and retaining high-quality individuals to teach STEM subjects in Virginia’s middle and high schools.

Mary Hardesty, a math specialist at Bayside Middle School and Brandon Middle School, and Selena Harris, seventh-grade science teacher at Bayside Middle School, both received a $5,000 incentive award. In addition, Dorothy Baker, an eighth-grade math teacher at Plaza Middle School received a $1,000 Second Year Continuation Award.

Hardesty was thrilled to find out that she had been selected.

“I’m so excited,” Hardesty said. “I enjoy being part of STEM related activities as they help to improve instruction in the classroom.”

Baker felt that receiving the award is recognition of the progress occurring at Plaza. “I would like to think that in the three years that I have been here at Plaza, I have been contributing to the process of helping our math department turn our scores around, increasing our student’s exposure to rigorous math concepts, their ability to think critically, and their understanding of key mathematical concepts.”

Harris suggested that the incentive could make teaching STEM subjects more attractive. “I would certainly recommend and encourage teachers in STEM subjects to apply for this award because it rewards you for working in a content area where there is a shortage of teachers.”

Twenty-one Virginia STEM teachers applied to receive a $5,000 incentive award from VDOE. The awards program was approved by the General Assembly in 2014.

The award is contingent upon the three teachers receiving satisfactory performance evaluations for the 2015-16 school year and for them to continue to teach STEM subjects with VBCPS for the 2016-17 school year.