The school year started with a special surprise for a North Buncombe High School math teacher. Jaime Stowe had special visitors pop into her first block class to announce she is the Buncombe County Schools Math Teacher of the Year. The “surprise squad” included BCS Assistant Superintendent Chip Cody, principal Kevin Yontz, and district secondary lead math coach Nathan Arvey.
“Ms. Stowe builds a strong community within her classroom, fostering mathematical discourse and constant collaboration in her room where students feel comfortable sharing their thinking,” said Mr. Arvey. “She is constantly seeking to refine her practice so that her students have the best experience possible.”
Candidates are nominated by their principals and then complete an application. They are anonymously judged by school system curriculum coaches.
“It’s all about the kids,” said Mrs. Stowe. “As our principal says, ‘If we love them, they’ll do what we ask in our class.’ That’s our job. The math will come, but they have to know we care about them first.”
Mrs. Stowe has taught math for 18 years, starting at North Buncombe Middle School before coming to North Buncombe High.