2026 Elementary Mathematics Specialist Scholarship Recipient
Kimberly Thurstonn
Maine
Biography
Kimberly Thurston has been in education for almost 25 years. She started her career with her Maine 7-12 Mathematics teaching certification and taught in the middle grades for four years at Auburn Middle School and Tripp Middle School as a regular math classroom teacher as well as a math interventionist. After her daughter was born and she worked as an educational technician at Turner Elementary School, Kimberly decided she wanted to teach elementary school. She returned to school and received her Maine K-8 General Education teaching certificate, and taught 6th grade for five years and kindergarten for five years both at Greene Central School. She loved these positions, but then wanted to try a new challenge. She really loves teaching math, so changed to her most recent position of Title 1 Math Interventionist for grades K-2 at Spruce Mountain Primary School. Kimberly is now in her 8th year of being a math interventionist at Spruce Mountain Primary School.
While searching for ways to help those struggling math students experience success, Kimberly realized she did not know nearly enough about how kids in grades K-6 actually learn math. She realized she needed to teach math differently than how she learned it to help her students be successful.
This is when Kimberly decided to pursue her Master of Art in Teaching Mathematics at Mount Holyoke College. She is currently in her first year of a two year program to obtain this degree. This program has courses on how students learn mathematics as well as a teacher leadership and coaching component that Kimberly is looking for.
Kimberly is also taking part in the Math4ME Project, a three year program through the Maine Department of Education that helps to improve mathematics education in primary school through middle school. Through this project, she is a “Teacher of Influence (TOI)” - a teacher leader who is helping to bring this learning to the staff at Spruce Mountain Primary School. Kimberly not only wants to help her own students be better mathematicians, she wants to help other teachers be more effective so that their students are better mathematicians as well.
Kimberly is delighted to be one of three recipients of the 2026 AMTE Elementary Math Specialist Scholarship. This scholarship will help her pursue her Master of Art in Teaching Mathematics degree.