The GCSM Outstanding Leadership award is presented to a member of the organization who demonstrates excellence and strong leadership in mathematics education. As a leader, this award recipient gives much to others beyond the classroom as a mentor, advocate, and global contributor to the improvement of mathematics education. The awardee is a math leader, who is professionally active, and promotes the GCSM mission.
The 2024 GCSM Outstanding Leadership Recipient
For the last two and a half years, I have had the honor of working alongside and getting to know Mr. James Special. Since I began serving as the K-5 Mathematics Content Specialist for the Muscogee County School District in June 2021, Mr. Special has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and guidance regarding mathematics in general and serving in a district-level position. Mr. Special has advocated for my engagement with the Georgia Department of Education Mathematics Team, the Georgia Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, and similar organizations. Mr. Special strives to ensure effective mathematics instruction permeates the district by providing professional development and other support to academic coaches and classroom teachers. In preparation for the implementation of Georgia’s K-12 Mathematics Standards, Mr. Special offered training sessions after school and during our district’s EmpoWEr Conference. He was instrumental in facilitating mathematics support meetings for teachers before COVID-19. In addition to his role as a content specialist, Mr. Special serves as the coordinator of the Muscogee County School District Academic Decathlon. To him, the Academic Decathlon is an important event because it allows all students, especially those who may go unrecognized, an opportunity to compete and receive recognition for their academic and intrapersonal skills. Mr. Special's reach goes beyond those on his team and those within the Muscogee County School District. As the Georgia Department of Education prepared for Georgia's K-12 Mathematics Standards, Mr. Special served on various committees from unit development to vetting the instructional learning plans. During the 2022-2023 academic year, Mr. Special served as a virtual learning specialist for the GaDOE. As a virtual learning specialist, he led professional development sessions that focused on helping Georgia mathematics educators better understand mathematical modeling. At 2023 GA MathCON, Mr. Special co-presented the eighth-grade mathematics and Algebra: Concepts and Connections sessions. Mr. Special serves on the Georgia Mathematics Advisory Council, and he is the Vice President of the Georgia Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. Mr. Special has also worked with the Columbus State University’s Mathematics Collaborative to provide training and support for mathematics educators. Mr. Special has served as a Master Teacher in the Mathematics Collaborative's Math Masters Competition. For that, I would like to take the opportunity to nominate Mr. James Special for the GCSM Leadership Award.