Mike Weidner

Mike earned his Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from Marquette University, followed by an additional Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from UW Milwaukee.  He has taught at Nicolet High School from 1993 to the present day, and will be retiring at the end of this school year.  While at Nicolet, he has consistently advocated for reform mathematics, using technology in the classroom, student-centered instruction, assessment reform, discovery learning and curricular

innovation.  Mike has also shared his knowledge and expertise with mathematics educators throughout Wisconsin by leading numerous summer academies, as well as teaching classes through Alverno College, Marquette University, and Concordia University.  He has also presented and led workshops through NCTM and Texas Instruments, and has presented at the WMC Annual Conference numerous times.

Mike served on the WMC Board for ten years, including six as treasurer.  He was pivotal in establishing the Wisconsin Mathematics Education Foundation, and served on their Board from 2010 to 2024.  His interests as a teacher have always had students and their learning at the core.  He has always strived to bring out the very best mathematical thinking from his students as well as their best attributes as human beings.  While mathematics has always been the medium of his teaching, Mike never lost sight of the fact that he was charged with the mighty and wonderful task of teaching children.

Arnold Chandler

Arnold started his professional career as a high school mathematics teacher at East High School in Rockford, IL, and at the UW High School. He obtained a Master’s Degree and PhD in mathematics education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the first mathematics supervisor at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, later a bureau director overseeing all core subjects, and served for a time as assistant superintendent of public schools in Wisconsin.  Arnold was one of the founders of the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, and in 1962 he was elected its second president. In 1965 he became president of the Wisconsin Mathematics Council.

Arnold understood the limitations of traditional mathematics instruction and was supportive of making wholesale changes to the mathematics curriculum. Those changes revolved around shifting the emphasis of mathematics teaching from learning computational procedures to understanding mathematics concepts.  He was immensely proud of public education in Wisconsin and was always excited to discuss his time spent in nearly every community and school district in the state.  Arnold passed away on July 26, 2019 at the age of 89.

DME AWARD

The Wisconsin Mathematics Council’s Distinguished Mathematics Educator (DME) Award is the most prestigious award that the Council bestows. The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions and exceptional leadership and service to the Wisconsin mathematics education community.

Qualities of DME awardees include evidence of:

• Active participation in professional organizations at the local, state and/or national levels.
• Lifetime contributions to mathematics education.
• Continued growth as a mathematics educator and leader.
• Inspirational influence on others in mathematics education.

In order to be considered for the DME award, nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Provide significant contributions and distinguished service to mathematics education in Wisconsin.
• Be recognized as a regional, state, and/or national mathematics leader.
• Be involved in mathematics education for a minimum of 15 years, with at least ten years in Wisconsin.

Nominate an Individual!

Formal nominations must be submitted to the Wisconsin Mathematics Council no later than February 1 each year.

Nominations include completing the DME Nomination Form and submitting it along with a DME Nomination Letter outlining why the nominee should be recognized. All materials should be submitted to wmc@wismath.org.

The DME committee, appointed by the WMC president, will review candidates for the award and present the selection to the WMC Board of Directors no later than April 1 of each year. The DME awardee will be honored at the WMC Annual Conference. Questions about the DME award should be directed to the Wisconsin Mathematics Council email at: wmc@wismath.org.

Past DME Awardees