Aberdeen student wins two state Educators Rising events, qualifies for nationals in Orlando

Kylie Clemens, a student member of Educators Rising, told the Aberdeen School District 06-1 Board of Education on March 10 that she won first place in two events at the state Educators Rising competition and qualified for nationals in Orlando in June.

Clemens said she competed in an interactive bulletin-board event, presenting a kindergarten math display called “rocket math,” and in a lesson-plan competition in which she taught a kindergarten class and submitted a recording for evaluation. “I won first in both of them and then qualified for nationals in both of them too,” Clemens said.

Elizabeth Kettering, adviser for the local Educators Rising chapter, said the chapter earned a gold rating at state—the highest designation—and that the chapter won banners for first-through-third-place finishes. “Our chapter was able to establish a gold rating, which is the highest, and that's all due to all the things that our members do as well,” Kettering said.

Student leader Emily, who served as vice president of membership for the state organization, described organizing events and breakout sessions and said the state conference gave local students exposure to education practices in other states.

The board received the remarks as a “good news” item; no formal action was taken.

The district did not provide an exact number of students who will travel to nationals; Kettering said chaperones will attend. Nationals are scheduled in Orlando in June.