Noemi Rodriguez-Lopez
TCTM is pleased to honor Noemi Rodriguez-Lopez for her leadership at both the state and national levels.
Noemi R. Lopez retired in October 2013 after 39 years in education from Harris County Department of Education in Houston, Tx. Her career began with Corpus Christi ISD where she worked for eight years. While at CCISD, she worked as a middle school math teacher at Haas Middle School and shortly afterwards, moved to Miller High School. She served as department head in both schools. She also served as a mathematics specialist to pilot math lab settings in one junior high and two high schools to master the TABS/TAAS test. She later was recruited to serve as the mathematics specialist at the Region 2 Education Service Center in Corpus Christi. During her 12 years at ESC 2, she provided mathematics training to the area 42 school districts, coordinated the EESA Title II Math/Science Cooperative, coordinated the MATHCOUNTS Program at the regional level and collaborated with the mathematics professors at Texas A&M- Kingsville as part of the EEESA Title II High Education Grant Program. She again was recruited to join Harris County Department of Education in 1994 in Houston, Tx. During the first 10 years at HCDE, she served as K-12 mathematics specialist, Director for the Center of Professional Development and Instructional Support as well as the associate director of the Houston Consortium of Urban Professional Development Technology Center. Her first retirement was in 2004. She came back to HCDE working an additional 9 years as marketing manager and client development officer. She also served as an interim mathematics specialist during 2009-2010 school year.
During her educational career, Ms. Lopez served in numerous leadership committees at the local, state , regional and national level. She was president of the Coastal Bend Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Corpus Christi. At the State level she served in TEA’s TABS, TAAS and TEKS state testing committees in addition to serving on the State Board of Educator Certification for secondary mathematics. At the regional level she served in various committees for the Southwest Educational Laboratory. For 10 years she represented Texas in SCIMAST-a 5 state consortium for Math and Science. She also served in the 21st Century After School Training Toolkit and Leading Mathematics into the 21st Century committee. At the national level she served in three major committees for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics- the Regional Mathematics Conference, Comprehensive Mathematics Education for Every Child and Reaching All Learners. She also was an elected board member to the national organization of TODOS: Mathematics for All and an appointed board member to the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.
Noemi also is an author of “¿Como se Dice? How Do You Say It- 750 mathematics word manual for teachers and students. She has had several articles written for NCSM and most recently will also be featured in the California Math Council journal, The ComMuniCator .
Her educational background consists of a BS in secondary education with an emphasis in mathematics and a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in mathematics from Texas A&I-Kingsville (now Texas A&M, Kingsville). She went on to get a certification in mid-management.
There is a saying that, “once a teacher… is always a teacher. This is so true of Noemi. Yet, after her 2nd retirement she finds herself being a part- time GED instructor in Houston and still teaching mathematics! She enjoys being a mom to her two children- one working with an investment bank and the other a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force.