Math teacher Curtis James has raised the quality of math instruction both in his classroom at Clayton High School in Clayton and throughout the St. Louis area. Chair of the school's math department, James teaches an Advanced Placement Calculus BC class that has resulted in a pass rate on the AP calculus exam of over 95 percent. He also co-created the curriculum for an Informal Algebra class that helps struggling and special needs students improve their math achievement through hands-on activities. His excellent instruction, effective use of technology and educational leadership has helped Clayton emerge as a statewide leader on the math portion of the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests. He is co-sponsor of the Math Club and creator and sponsor of the Chess Club. A past president of the Mathematics Educators of Greater St. Louis (MEGSL), James has served as site coordinator and presenter at numerous MEGSL conferences, directly impacting the best practices of other math teachers throughout the city. He has served on the district math curriculum committee and mentored new and student teachers.
1996 University of Missouri, B.S.
