Election Candidates 2026

President Elect Summary of Duties

Summary of Duties (as President Elect):

Serve as a member of the Annual Conference Committee for the conference held during the years in office as President.
Serve as a member of the Program Committee for the annual meeting.
Serve in lieu of the President when appropriate.
Prior to taking office as President, prepare a list of nominees for appointments. This list is to be presented to the Board for approval at the Board meeting immediately preceding the annual meeting.
Assume such duties as the President and/or Board may determine.

Summary of Duties (as President):

Serve as a member of the Annual Conference Committee for the conference held during the years in office as President.
Serve as executive officer of the Council and Board, using his/her centralizing leadership and direction to unify and focus on the continuation and furtherance of the purposes of the Council. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Organize and publish an agenda for Board meetings concerning topics of vital concern to the Council and provide adequate time for discussion and committee work within the stated length of time for which the Board was convened.
Preside at all Board meetings and at the annual business meetings of the Council.
Appoint Committee chairpersons as provided by the articles and Bylaws. Each chairperson is to receive a written description of the committee work within one month of appointment.
Forward to the NCTM representative copies of any correspondence resulting from the NCTM-NCSM relationship.
Work with the contractor providing membership and registration services to facilitate delivery of these services.
Prepare an annual report for the membership of the Council, which is to appear in the post-annual-meeting issue of the official NCSM publication.
Make provisions for the study of future needs and direction of the Council.
Exercise leadership in assisting the Board to develop the on-going activities of the Council.
Perform such other duties as shall be assigned by the Board.

Summary of Duties (as Past President):

Assist the President relative to the transfer of office.
Serve in an advisory capacity in order to enable the officers to carry out the purposes of the Council and to better serve the membership.
Act as a major advisor to the President.
Serve as member of the Program Committee for the annual meeting.
Serve in lieu of the President when necessary.
Assist the Secretary in compiling the records of the previous two years.
Assume such duties as the President and/or the Board may determine.

Term of Office: One year as President Elect, two years as President, and one year as Past President

Amy Lucenta

Upon joining the NCSM Board of Directors as Regional Director, I quickly realized that I was learning just as much as I was serving. I learned how fellow board members led in roles beyond the board and leveraged expertise to inform our work. I saw how they built shared vision and ownership, used intentional processes to center equity, and actively sought perspectives to guide decisions.

I had opportunities to serve, learn, and lead in NCSM board roles as Lead Regional Director, Lead of the DEI Governance Committee, Lead of the HQIM-M Project, and a member of the executive committee. I, along with team members, re-established structures for the regional directors to ensure our work aligned with NCSM goals, integrated DEI as a governance committee rather than an initiative, and facilitated the HQIM-M team’s production of content for a multi-phase, multimedia guide for leaders to plan for, select, and implement HQIM-M. Each role deepened my learning and revealed the impact and importance of the board’s work. I continue to be inspired by the collaborations.

My identity as a practice-based leader positions me to listen authentically to educators and drives my dedication as a leader to developing environments where every student’s thinking and perspective is honored and strengths are recognized. I have brought, and will continue to bring to the role of president, my ever-present attention to whose thinking is elevated and whose voices are not heard. My work alongside teachers, coaches, and administrators across the country informs my understanding of common challenges in the field of mathematics education and those unique to local contexts while keeping me grounded as I continue to enact bold leadership.

It would be an incredible honor to serve as president of NCSM, an organization that has been a source of my own professional growth for many years, and to continue the collaborative and inclusive leadership that is responsive to the needs of its membership.

Summary of Duties (as Second Vice President):

Serve as a member of the Annual Conference Committee.
Serve as a member of the Program Committee.
Serve as the Volunteer Recruitment and Management Chair for the annual meeting during the year in office.
Recruit, schedule, and manage volunteers to assist with Annual Conference logistics and events including conference bag stuffing, early bird registration, on site registration, and ticketed events.
Become First Vice President the second year in office.
Assume such duties as the Board and/or President may determine.

Summary of Duties (as First Vice President):

Serve as a member of the Annual Conference Committee.
Serve as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the annual meeting during the year in office.
Appoint the members of the Program Committee, which shall include the Past President or the President-Elect, and the Second Vice-President.
Organize and develop the Annual Conference theme, strands, and speaker proposal forms.
Set the conference program timeline and speaker deadlines.
Schedule all program sessions including sponsor showcases, regional caucuses, and special interest groups.
Serve as executive officer of the Board whenever the President, Past President or the President-Elect is unavailable.
Assume such duties as the Board and/or President may determine.

Term of Office: One year as Second Vice President, one year as First Vice President

Denise Schulz

Candidate's Statement

My interest in serving on the NCSM Board of Directors stems from my personal alignment with NCSM’s mission and my commitment to advancing equitable mathematics education. NCSM’s focus on equity, high-quality teaching, and impactful leadership strongly resonates with me.

My understanding of myself and my role in the world continues to evolve. Although I am often perceived as a white woman, I am also an Asian woman, an aspect of my identity that is frequently overlooked due to my appearance. Through my educational and professional experiences, I have encountered comments and actions based on assumptions about my identity, and these moments have highlighted the complexity and impact of misperceived identity. As a first-generation college graduate from a military family, my background influenced my worldview. Through research and collaboration with diverse colleagues, I have broadened and deepened my perspectives. These experiences fuel my passion for equity and inform my work to address disparities in mathematics education. I am committed to supporting educators in creating learning environments where every student feels seen, valued, and capable.

Throughout my career, I have served as a mathematics educator, curriculum developer, instructional coach, mathematics consultant in a state education agency, and professional learning specialist. In these roles, I have led district and state initiatives to strengthen mathematics instruction and support teachers. My ongoing engagement in professional learning, as both a participant and facilitator, reflects my commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration.

I am actively involved in professional organizations dedicated to advancing mathematics education and have led efforts at the district, state, and national levels. These experiences have equipped me with the skills and insights necessary to contribute meaningfully to the NCSM Board of Directors.

Region includes: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Summary of Duties:

Reside or be employed in the region represented. If during the term of office a Director moves from the region, a new Director shall be appointed by the President.
Represent the region at all Board meetings.
Organize events for members of the Council at NCTM and/or meetings within the region as appropriate.
Plan meetings for members of the Council at any NCTM conference scheduled through December of the year the Director’s term expires.
Promote membership in the Council among those eligible.
Encourage the support of Council activities.
Recommend members from the region to be considered by the Nominations Committee as candidates for offices in the Council.
Seek Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award nominees.
Prepare written reports of regional activities to be submitted at meetings of the Board.
Assist in planning the Annual Conference.
If the Annual Conference is located in the region served during the term of office: coordinate all Regional Director assistance at ticketed, major, and special conference events; and provide local assistance, support, and publicity within the region.
Write and solicit articles for official NCSM publications from Council members within the region.
Assume such duties as the President and/or Board may determine.

Term of Office: Three years

Kim Pencil

Candidate's Statement

It would be my honor to serve on the NCSM Board of Directors in support of our shared vision of empowering leaders and teachers to transform mathematics education. My goal is to help shape systems in which high-quality, rigorous mathematics is a daily reality for every learner. Serving under Susie Katt as the Regional Team Leader for Central 2 in Wisconsin has deeply influenced my leadership and commitment to advocacy, service, and impact, and I am dedicated to continuing that legacy.

Over 29 years in education, I have served in classroom, coaching, district, and regional roles. My work includes leading K–12 mathematics professional learning, coaching teachers and administrators, partnering with 38 districts on continuous improvement planning, and contributing to statewide assessment efforts to strengthen fairness and validity. My licensure in building and district leadership, along with national presentation experience, has strengthened my ability to lead collaboratively and influence systems at scale.

My identity as an Asian American student and educator fundamentally grounds my leadership perspective. Having navigated racial stereotypes related to aptitude, I am keenly aware of how systemic assumptions can shape student identities and restrict access. This lived experience fuels my advocacy for mathematics environments where every student is seen as capable, supported, and valued, and where success is determined by opportunity rather than predicted by stereotype.

Region includes: District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Summary of Duties:

Reside or be employed in the region represented. If during the term of office a Director moves from the region, a new Director shall be appointed by the President.
Represent the region at all Board meetings.
Organize events for members of the Council at NCTM and/or meetings within the region as appropriate.
Plan meetings for members of the Council at any NCTM conference scheduled through December of the year the Director’s term expires.
Promote membership in the Council among those eligible.
Encourage the support of Council activities.
Recommend members from the region to be considered by the Nominations Committee as candidates for offices in the Council.
Seek Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award nominees.
Prepare written reports of regional activities to be submitted at meetings of the Board.
Assist in planning the Annual Conference.
If the Annual Conference is located in the region served during the term of office: coordinate all Regional Director assistance at ticketed, major, and special conference events; and provide local assistance, support, and publicity within the region.
Write and solicit articles for official NCSM publications from Council members within the region.
Assume such duties as the President and/or Board may determine.

Term of Office: Three years

MichelleHawley

Michelle Hawley

Candidate's Statement

Over 26 years in education, I have been shaped by experiences that have influenced me as a person, mathematics educator, and leader. Early in my career, high-quality professional learning inspired me with the power of mathematics to shape how students see themselves—and what they believe is possible. The energy and joy of strong mathematics communities continue to fuel my commitment to ensuring every student has access to meaningful, engaging, and equitable learning.

I currently serve as the K–12 Supervisor of Mathematics in the Brandywine School District, where I have spent more than a decade leading systemwide efforts to strengthen instruction and increase student ownership and voice in the classroom. I have led multiple adoptions of high-quality instructional materials, designing sustained professional learning and coaching to support implementation. At the center of this work is my core belief: students’ backgrounds should never determine their opportunities or success.

Beyond my district, I serve as President of the Delaware Math Coalition, supporting statewide professional learning and conferences for math supervisors, building leaders, and teachers. I am also a founding member of our NCSM affiliate, Delaware Council for Mathematics Leaders (DCML), designed to expand our leadership networks across the state. These roles led me to a state workgroup that created the Delaware K–12 Mathematics Framework.

I am especially proud of my work supporting administrators through the Dismantling Inequities in Mathematics Education (DIME) initiative and sharing how districts can use feedback from the Delaware teacher evaluation system to affect meaningful change in the mathematics classroom. These efforts focus on equipping leaders - those closest to the work - to disrupt inequities in mathematics education.

As a Regional Director, I would bring a strong commitment to equity, collaboration, and leadership development to support NCSM’s mission.

Region includes: California, Far West: American Samoa, Federated States (Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Island, Palau Islands), Hawaii, Military AP: AFO/FPO, Oregon, Washington

Summary of Duties:

Reside or be employed in the region represented. If during the term of office a Director moves from the region, a new Director shall be appointed by the President.
Represent the region at all Board meetings.
Organize events for members of the Council at NCTM and/or meetings within the region as appropriate.
Plan meetings for members of the Council at any NCTM conference scheduled through December of the year the Director’s term expires.
Promote membership in the Council among those eligible.
Encourage the support of Council activities.
Recommend members from the region to be considered by the Nominations Committee as candidates for offices in the Council.
Seek Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award nominees.
Prepare written reports of regional activities to be submitted at meetings of the Board.
Assist in planning the Annual Conference.
If the Annual Conference is located in the region served during the term of office: coordinate all Regional Director assistance at ticketed, major, and special conference events; and provide local assistance, support, and publicity within the region.
Write and solicit articles for official NCSM publications from Council members within the region.
Assume such duties as the President and/or Board may determine.

Term of Office: Three years

Margaret Peg Cagle

Candidate's Statement

In professions, excellence is achieved in collaboration with fellow practitioners; good to great is not a solo climb, and we must lift as we climb. I would be honored to contribute to realizing NCSM’s commitment to bold leadership, intentionally working to close some of the most persistently and egregiously harmful gaps in math education, the disconnect between research and practice, the divide between leaders and classrooms, and the chasm between far too many Americans and a love of mathematics.

My career can be characterized as one of advocacy, continually speaking truth to power on behalf of my students, my discipline, and my profession. Having entered the profession amid the math wars in California, I realize the impact of external policies/programs and their outsized impact, particularly on historically marginalized and fragile learners. As a leader in schools and districts, board member of the National Council of Teachers of Math, Council of Presidential Awardees in Math and CA Math Council, director of PCMI Teacher Leadership Program, and Einstein Fellow on Capitol Hill, I join in community with others to craft invitations and on-ramps for all students to feel welcomed and valued in every math classroom, for all educators to recognize and embrace their role as professionals and leaders in this work, and for every member of the public to see themselves as a math person.

California is leveraging a new Framework, Hawaii is leading integration of ethnomathematics, Oregon is increasing the role of data science in k-12 math and Washington is adopting new standards, while we all balance confronting issues from the past such as tracking and systemic racism, and responding to what is on the horizon such as emerging AI technologies. NCSM is uniquely positioned to map our way forward to the high-quality teaching and learning of mathematics that our young people need, to realize the future they deserve. I am eager to join in that effort on behalf of Western Region 2.