Bobson Wong, center, one of the two winners of this year’s MƒA Muller Award. (Photo courtesy of the MƒA)
Oct. 12, 2022 By Christian Murray
A mathematics teacher at Bayside High School has been awarded $20,000 for his contribution to the teaching profession.
Bobson Wong is one of two teachers across the city to win a $20,000 Math for America (MƒA) prize. The award is given to teachers in the math or science fields who are leaders in their respective discipline and are highly respected in their school community.
The second recipient of the $20,000 award is Sarah Slack, who is a science teacher at I.S. 223 Montauk in Brooklyn.
Both Bayside High School and I.S. 223 will be awarded $5,000, a prize given to each teacher’s school.
The MFA award is given to math or science teachers who are what’s known as Math for America (MƒA) Master Teachers. These teachers have conducted four-year workshop programs—or are in the process of doing them—with MƒA, an organization that promotes math and science. There are approximately 900 MƒA teachers in New York City.
The awards are funded by MƒA Board Member Peter Muller and his family through their Dancing Tides Foundation.
Wong has taught mathematics in New York City public high schools for 18 years, with the past 17 at Bayside High School.
He is an educational specialist for the New York State Education Department, who has designed curricula and assessments that are widely used. Wong has also played a key role in reviewing the Common Core Mathematics Standards and graduation requirements in New York.
Wong is deemed a leader in the mathematics field. He regularly speaks at state and national conferences and is a co-author of two books that provide a deep understanding of mathematics teaching to others: The Math Teacher’s Toolbox (Jossey-Bass, 2020) and Practical Algebra: A Self-Teaching Guide (Jossey-Bass, 2022). He is currently the chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
“I am deeply honored to receive the MƒA Muller Award,” Wong said. “This award reflects not just my efforts but the work of a community that respects the professional expertise of educators so that we can work together to improve math education.”
