Congratulations to
2008 Mathematics Educator of the Year
Carole Halka
The Kenneth Kidd Mathematics Educator of the Year award is the highest honor that FCTM bestows on one of its members. Individuals are nominated by their peers and must have been involved in mathematics education in Florida for at least 10 years.
Carole Halka, the 2008 Kenneth Kidd Mathematics Educator of the Year, has been involved in education in Florida since 1981, having previously taught in New York City. Carole has been a teacher, a mathematics curriculum specialist, and an assistant principal in Broward County. She has also taught elementary and middle school mathematics methods classes at Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University.
Carole has provided service to mathematics education in Florida at both the local and state levels. She has been President, Vice-President, and Elementary Director for the Broward County Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She served as Region XII Director for FCTM for many years. Together with Carol Newman, she has helped coordinate vendors and exhibits at various FCTM state mathematics conferences and the FCTM Annual Leadership Conference.
Carole has served on numerous state committees recommending policy related to mathematics education. It would be impossible to enumerate all of them, but listing a few provides insight into the valuable contributions Carole has made to mathematics education. She has served on the state adoption committee for instructional materials for K-8, on the FCAT Content Advisory Committee, on the FCAT standards setting committee, on FCAT item review committees, on a committee to write the middle grades mathematics teacher certification exam, and on a validation committee for the elementary education teacher certification exam.
Throughout her involvement in all of these committees, Carole brings a passion for mathematics and for ensuring that all students have the opportunity to demonstrate their full potential in mathematics. She has given unselfishly of her time and energy to advocate and promote mathematics education throughout Florida. It is my great pleasure to add Carole Halka’s name to a long list of distinguished educators who have been recognized with the Kenneth Kidd Mathematics Educator of the Year.