Karen Graham Elected to NCTM Board

Dr. Karen Graham, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Director, Joan and James Leitzel Center was one of four people elected to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Board of Directors, fall 2011.  Her three-year term begins with the annual meeting in April 2012.

In her work, Dr. Graham demonstrates the critical way in which research and the practice of teaching mathematics inform each other.  She provides professional development in research, practices, and mathematics to teachers and has participated in numerous state, regional, and national initiatives.  In her NCTM candidate statement, Dr. Graham writes, “NCTM must continue to provide and promote professional development that has teachers explore teaching practices and mathematics content knowledge needed for teaching.  NCTM must ensure that its activities derive from a research base about what we know about the influence of standards, how teachers engage with policy documents, how teachers learn about teaching, and how research on students’ learning guides practice."  She also recognizes the need to communicate the necessity of high-quality mathematics education to nation, state, and local policy makers.

The NCTM Board of Directors is responsible for setting direction, establishing policy, and overseeing the activities of NCTM.  Board of Directors members are expected to participate in a leadership role at NCTM conferences, serve as the chair of a committee, and help identify and encourage individuals who could play a greater role in NCTM in the future.