Pam Cyr, math coordinator for the Chittenden South Supervisory Union (CSSU) assigned to Shelburne Community School in Shelburne, has improved the quality of math instruction locally, regionally and statewide. Using data from state and local assessments, Ms. Cyr identifies students' academic needs and helps teachers target their instruction. As a member of the school's math coordinator team, Ms. Cyr provides professional development to teachers and paraprofessionals throughout the CSSU. She has worked with the Vermont Department of Education as a network leader, helping develop grade level expectations for math, and organizes a monthly math roundtable called "Math Tea" for teachers and teacher leaders from around the state to discuss best practices. Ms. Cyr developed a program in which middle school students who were not achieving standards were trained to tutor younger students who were also not meeting standards. As a result, students in both groups achieved higher academic performance and were more engaged in learning. What she has added to these students' lives is the best kind of math there is.
