Press Release: Teacher of the Year Finalist

2020 Nevada Teacher of the Year Finalist

Nye County School District teacher Patricia Martin was announced by the Nevada Department of Education as one of five outstanding finalists for the 2020 Nevada Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Martin is the first teacher ever from Nye County School District to be selected as a finalist.

“We are very proud to have Mrs. Martin on staff and as a member of the Nye County School District family. Her students benefit from her experience and expertise in the classroom each and every day. I congratulate her, and thank her for her hard work. She goes above and beyond, outside the walls of the classroom for all students at Pahrump Valley High School,” said Superintendent Dale Norton.

Mrs. Martin teaches AP Government and U.S. Government at Pahrump Valley High School (PVHS). “It is clear to me she is a student centered, dynamic educator who is innovative and centers her classroom environment on high levels of student engagement. Along with her craft, Mrs. Martin develops strong relationships with her students who know their teacher cares about them and their success at school and in life. In addition, The PVHS staff views Mrs. Martin as a true school leader; this recognition came as her peers observed the dedication she shows to students, families, staff, and community,” said Mr. George Campnell, PVHS Principal.  “Our PVHS family is proud to have Patricia Martin represent us as a finalist for the Nevada Teacher of the Year.”

According to Mike Pape, PVHS social studies department chairperson, Patricia Martin “has demonstrated her commitment to teamwork, determination in the classroom and the Pahrump Valley community. In November she established a school wide student mock election, which created a real world voting environment for students to participate in the national and state elections. Throughout the year she worked with high achieving students to bring back the National Honor Society to Pahrump Valley High School. She worked with local community businesses and received donations to build Trojan Park, which was the service project for members in the National Honor Society. This past spring Patricia Martin opened the park along with Nevada US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and National Honor Society students.”

Laura Weir, parent of Virginia Weir,  stated “Through National Honor Society, Patricia Martin inspired students to reach their potential in furthering their education and to become more involved in the community. Under her leadership, the students increased their pride in the community through the creation of Trojan Park. My daughter is now a full-time student at Arizona State University and loving every moment of it. I am honored to state that Mrs. Martin contributed to her success.”

The National Teacher of the Year program is facilitated by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). After being nominated, Ms. Martin was invited to apply for the honor. After a rigorous selection process had been completed, State Superintendent Jhone Ebert selected the Nevada Teacher of the Year from an anonymized pool of five applicants.

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