Candy Ellard Presidential Award Recipient
MEd Curriculum and Instruction, ’95

College of Education alumna Candy Ellard was honored by President Obama in 2010 with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching at a White House event focused on STEM education. She was recognized with more than 100 other outstanding mathematics and science educators—all winners of Presidential awards for excellence in STEM teaching and mentoring. The Presidential Award acknowledges the importance, influence and hard work of great science and math teachers. President Obama said, "From the moment a student enters a school, the single most important factor in their success is the person in front of the classroom. They should be valued and they should be honored."

Ellard taught science and mathematics at Pillow Elementary School in the Austin Independent School District for seven years and is now a science specialist at Jordan Elementary.  While at Pillow, Ellard and other members of the school’s Campus Advisory Council worked to raise state assessment scores. Their efforts succeeded as mathematics and science scores among the school's fifth graders soared.

Ellard is known for her dedication—arriving early, staying late and tutoring any student who needs it. She has won praise for her ability to make science and mathematics interesting and understandable to a diverse group of students and for her commitment to teaching in a high-needs district. She insists that students use scientific vocabulary and understand the concepts behind class projects.

While at Pillow, Ellard was invited to join The University of Texas at Austin's National Science Foundation-sponsored outreach program titled The Young Scientists through the Center for Synthesis, Growth, and Analysis of Electronic Materials. Her students registered unmatched gains, and most of them were accepted to a magnet program; she eventually led the required Young Scientists multiweek teacher professional development sessions. For the past several years, she has worked with the UTeach program at The University of Texas at Austin, a program mentioned in President Obama's Race to the Top speech. She mentors college students and helps many of her peers deliver quality lessons.

Ellard was Pillow Elementary's 2008 Teacher of the Year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from East Texas Baptist University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin. She is certified in elementary education and teaching English as a second language.

UTeach started at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997 as a new way to prepare secondary science, math and computer science teachers. Its strength lies in the unique collaboration between the College of Education and College of Natural Sciences. The program is designed for undergraduates who want to teach, college graduates who are returning for certification, new teachers who want a supportive community or experienced teachers who would like an advanced degree.

UTeach has proven so successful that it is being replicated at universities across the United States.