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Saline honors middle school science teacher Leanne Reeb for national presidential award
Summary
Saline Area Schools recognized teacher Leanne Reeb at the board meeting Jan. 28 after she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching; Reeb described the multi-year application and review process and thanked the district.
Saline Area Schools recognized middle school science teacher Leanne Reeb Jan. 28 after she was selected for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
Superintendent Dr. Steve Lach described Reeb as "one of the most unique, special, and motivating educators" he has worked with and cited her classroom innovation and differentiated lesson planning. President Michael McVay outlined the nomination and review process that led to the award and credited Reeb's work with students on an interdisciplinary project at the Leslie Niehammer Science Preserve.
Reeb spoke to the board about the application process, which she described as lengthy and rigorous. She said her husband helped record three lessons, and she wrote an extended application analyzing her instructional decisions. "The original application itself ' I think it's between 30 and 40 pages ' and then I had to add an addendum of another 10 pages," Reeb said. She told the board the award is "the nation's highest honor for a science teacher" and stressed that she does not teach for prizes, but that the recognition reflects the district's support: "I feel so fortunate to work in a district," she said, "that allowed me to do my thing and push myself in ways that were not traditional."
Both the superintendent and board noted Reeb's classroom practices: hands-on experiments, differentiated instruction for multiple concurrent groups and time-intensive lesson preparation. The board and administrators singled out her work connecting science with social studies and language arts, including student-created signs funded by a roughly $5,000 community grant to place in the preserve.
The board introduced a photograph opportunity and invited Reeb's students and family to the front of the room. The item was a recognition on the board agenda and did not require a vote.
What happened next: board members continued the meeting and moved into business items after the recognition. The school community organized a brief photo and applause for Reeb and her family.
