2026 Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship Recipient
Anne Agostinelli
Illinois
Biography
Anne Agostinelli began her teaching career in 2005 with Chicago Public Schools after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Originally focused on teaching ELA, she was quickly drawn into the world of mathematics teaching by an impactful professor at UIC, and pursued her mathematics endorsement at University of Chicago during her first few years of teaching 6th grade. She later became certified to teach high school algebra to eighth grade students while pursuing a Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction. This led her to teach middle school mathematics in a departmental setting for many years. She also helped establish the Chicago Math Teachers Circle in 2015, which brings teachers together to solve interesting math problems.
Life required some flexibility, and Anne took a three year hiatus from the classroom to work within a more forgiving schedule as a Senior Mathematics Coach for the Metro Chicago Mathematics Initiative at UIC. In this role, she got to plan and facilitate professional development for teachers of grades K-12, spend time in classrooms all over Cook County, and lead peer collaborations for teachers to see into each others’ practice. She also took advantage of being university staff to pursue her second Master’s Degree in Educational Policy. While this role proved an incredible opportunity to learn so much from a range of teachers and students, Anne’s heart was missing her own classroom and school community.
This led her back to the place her career began, where her then Assistant Principal is now her Principal, who continues to encourage her to grow and learn. Her return to the classroom landed her teaching fifth and sixth grade mathematics, which quickly became her favorite grade band. Seeing the need for building teachers’ capacity for the rich mathematics that happens in grades K-6, Anne has begun her pursuit of her Elementary Mathematics Specialist endorsement through the program at University of Chicago. She has already learned a great deal, and this scholarship will enable her to continue the coursework toward her endorsement. She is incredibly grateful to AMTE for providing this support and the ability to continue to pursue her passion of making mathematics meaningful and accessible to all students.