I am a strong advocate of early postsecondary opportunities for all high school students and the Presidential Award elevates my teacher voice to a national level. I believe every student benefits from college-level work; my classroom is full of fearless students taking on this challenge every day and succeeding. We are a family and my submission reflects our classroom culture of grit and mental toughness. It is our work that is being recognized with this award and I am honored to be an awardee.

Kristina Krautkremer Kingsport, TN | 7-12, Science, 2017

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Kristina "Kris" Krautkremer teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Biology to 11th and 12th-grade students at Dobyns-Bennett High School, where she has taught for 16 years. Previously, she taught mathematics and science at high schools across the country for 12 years. Kris believes all students should engage in early postsecondary opportunities. Enrollment in her AP Biology classes has grown greatly, and students have maintained a pass rate exceeding the national average. As a result of her work, Kris received her district's Teacher of the Year award in 2016; a 2016-2017 Tennessee Educator Fellow for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education; authored the Tennessee Department of Education's teacher leader brief, and serves as a Tennessee Department of Education science content matter expert. Kris has presented at many statewide conferences and has hosted several legislators in her classroom. She works tirelessly to include parents through weekly newsletters and hosts a yearly parent-student lab day where parents engage in an AP lab with their child. As a veteran teacher of 28 years, Kris is certified in composite science and mathematics. She earned a B.S. in biology from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in microbiology and an M.P.A. in public administration, both from Texas A&M.

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