Middle school mathematics teacher honored

MARLBORO - Kamala Murti, a mathematics teacher at the Marlboro Memorial Middle School, has been selected as a winner of the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished Junior High School Mathematics Teaching from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Murti is one of 50 teachers selected for the award from all junior high schools in the United States.

As a winner, Murti receives a $100 check, a letter of recognition, a Sliffe Award Winner Pin, a certificate from the MAA, a free one-year membership to the MAA, a one-year subscription to the Math Horizons Magazine and a free one-year membership to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

According to a press release, the MAA is a 28,000-member organization concerned with various aspects of mathematics education, especially at the collegiate level.

The Edyth May Sliffe Award program is designed to recognize and reward outstanding teachers for their efforts in the development of mathematical talents of junior high school and middle school students.

The award is given to the top five schools in each of 10 regions and Canada, based on the total performance of the three top scoring students of a school over the past three years.

The consistent excellent effort of the students at Marlboro Memorial Middle School has placed the school in that group, according to the press release.

These awards are the result of a bequest made to the MAA by Edyth May Sliffe, a retired high school teacher of mathematics in Emeryville, Calif.

This is not the first time that a teacher in the K-8 Marlboro School District has been recognized for outstanding mathematics instruction.

Past winners include Marlboro Memorial Middle School teacher Donna Laslo in 2001; Marlboro Middle School teacher Joan Turner in 2002; Marlboro Memorial Middle School teacher Robin Zegas in 2003; and Marlboro Middle School teacher Terry Castoria in 2004.