Baylor's Trena Wilkerson Elected to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Board of Directors

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WACO, Texas (Nov. 19, 2013) - Trena Wilkerson was on the other side of the globe when she heard the news.
"The phone call came at 10 at night - 10 in the morning here - and I was already in bed asleep," she said. "I happened to wake up and saw that I had missed a phone call, and when I saw who it was from, I knew it was about the election results. I had no inkling it would be positive for me, because it's very difficult to get elected."
Wilkerson, Ph.D., professor and graduate program director for the department of curriculum & instruction in Baylor's School of Education, was working in Thailand when she learned that she had been elected to the board of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
NCTM regards itself as the public voice of mathematics education, and supports teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development and research.
"I've been a member my whole teaching career," Wilkerson said. "It's the one organization that I feel like really meets the needs of classroom teachers."
Wilkerson's election means that she will serve for three years on the board, attend NCTM meetings, prepare presentations, make recommendations to the committees and search for new talent.
"Trena's election to the board of directors for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a pretty big deal in the math education world," said Jon Engelhardt, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education at Baylor. "(It) is a result of active and recognized professional efforts, leadership and visibility in the field of mathematics over many years, and brings considerable recognition, not only for her, but for Baylor and our mathematics education program."
"Teaching mathematics was my calling," Wilkerson said. "I firmly believe that . . . it's the place that I should be."
by Rachel Miller, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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