Buckeye, Pendergast Educators Earn Top Awards | The Locally Times
Two Buckeye educators were honored for math leadership, while a Pendergast physical therapist and teacher received district-sponsored awards in February.
## Buckeye Honors Math Conference Leadership The Buckeye Elementary School District (BESD) recognized two educators with its Superintendent Award of Excellence during the district's February 2026 board meeting. The announcement states the two led a session on the use of posters to display student thought processes, a strategy the district document describes as an example of its work to build confident mathematicians. The district's post notes that the educators represented Buckeye's educational standards on a regional stage. The provided records do not specify the selection criteria for the award or the official scope of the MEAD Math Conference. A district announcement from February 19 identifies the recipients as a physical therapist at Copper King Elementary School and a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher at Canyon Breeze Elementary School. The public records do not detail the specific contributions that led to the staff members' nominations, nor do they outline the terms of the sponsorship agreement with the real estate group. ## Statewide Honors Provide Regional Context The same week these local awards were announced, the Arizona Educational Foundation recognized six schools in the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) with its 2026 A+ Schools of Excellence™ award. According to a February 19 press release from CUSD, the district described the achievement as a major one. The six schools—Andersen Elementary School, Chandler High School, Conley Elementary School, Haley Elementary School, Knox Gifted Academy, and Navarrete Elementary School—account for 12% of all statewide A+ recognitions this year. The district's release notes that the A+ designation, established in 1983, serves as the state's highest honor for public schools. The award is based on a comprehensive evaluation of a school’s performance, not solely on test scores. With these additions, CUSD schools have now received the honor more than 110 times since the program began.