Local teacher named one of only 11 Heinemann Fellows nationwide

Kent Haines, a seventh and eighth grade mathematics teacher at Simmons Middle School in Hoover, is one of 11 leading educators who has been awarded a place as a 2016 Heinemann Fellow.

Heinemann, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, has selected this accomplished group from a host of highly qualified candidates.

Kent has spent the last six years as a middle school math teacher with a focus on pre-algebra. He is passionate about changing the way middle school students think about mathematics and encourages students to solve equations more creatively by helping them move beyond memorized rules in math practice. 

“I want to work towards creating more coherent, long-term units of study for middle school math teachers so that teachers who want to give their students a conceptual understanding of math don’t have to create their own curriculum from scratch,” said Kent Haines.

As part of the two year Heinemann Fellowship program, members will have the opportunity to enhance their own schools and communities through collegial interaction with other fellows. The group will meet regularly through their fellowships to share findings and feedback. Together, they will refine data gathering, inform further research plans and help interpret results. Their work will then be shared through Heinemann’s publication channels.

– Submitted by Meghan Daly.