Spring Valley High math teacher earns Presidential Award

If his summer vacation was going to be cut short, meeting President Barack Obama was a pretty good reason.

Spring Valley High School teacher Gary Mayers was with his wife, Carol, in a remote area of Newfoundland off the eastern coast of Canada for most of June. On June 11, he drove five hours to get cellphone reception to learn that he was one of 97 teachers to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He would need to be in Washington, D.C., by June 27 for the three days of events that accompany the award.

The award is given annually to outstanding kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers. Recipients are flown to Washington to meet the president and members of Congress and to attend tours and other education events. Each teacher also received $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Mayers headed to Newfoundland prepared for the possibility of winning. He was tipped off a month earlier when notified via email that he was being considered for the award, so he brought his "fancy clothes" with him, in case he had to rush off. A father of a former student nominated Mayers, and he was the only teacher from Nevada to receive the award this year.

During their trip, Mayers and the other teachers expected to meet President Obama during their White House visit but met with Vice President Joe Biden instead because the president had to leave for an emergency, Mayers said.

Mayers spent much of his time discussing teaching methods with other educators and came away with better strategies for his classroom, he said. Nevada is slowly changing its curriculum to Common Core Standards, and Mayers said he learned from other teachers who had more experience with it.

"I've always felt I've been at the top of whatever it is I'm doing," Mayers said. "This is the only place I felt very, very inferior."

Mayers grew up in New York City, graduated high school at 16 and spent the first two years of college on a pre-medical track. The only problem, he said, was that he did not enjoy the classes. Mayers went to his college adviser and is still thankful to this day for the advice he got.

"He asked me what I liked about school," Mayers said. "I realized I like teachers. He said, 'Be a teacher.' "

Mayers chose math because he was already good at it and, as he admits, "Math required the minimal amount of work in college." Mayers taught in public and private schools in New York City for 36 years and for three in Culver City, Calif., before coming to Las Vegas and starting at Spring Valley in 2005.

Principal Bob Gerye has been at Spring Valley High School, 3750 S. Buffalo Drive, since it opened in 2004 and said he is impressed with the enthusiasm that 66-year-old Mayers brings to his job.

"Sometimes after you work a lot of years, you get tired," Gerye said. "That guy has more energy than the Nevada power plant.

"If we could clone him, it would be great."

Gerye said Mayers has a great ability to use common, everyday examples that students can relate to and to infuse humor into his lessons.

"He and I probably duel for the dumbest jokes in the school," said Gerye, "but the kids enjoy them."

Mayers said he always tries to ask difficult and higher-level questions in class, or "asking 'why?' instead of 'what?' "

"What's made me a good teacher is I've learned from everybody and picked up things from all the schools I've taught at," Mayers said. "This is my 47th year as a teacher. I reckon it's a lifetime achievement award."

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.