Nancy Kappler

Excellence in Education; Elected 2016

Nancy is a graduate of UPenn with a MA in guidance from Westfield State. She began teaching 7th and 8th grade math in 1971. She was known for making math interesting and relevant, encouraging her students to achieve their greatest potential, and helping countless girls realize that math was not the sole domain of males. In 1994 as the school system began introducing computers into the classroom, Nancy was tapped to be the Technology Coordinator, and it is in this area that she helped transform the system from paper and pencils into the modern technological era. She believed that rather than treat technology as a stand alone subject, it should be integrated into the entire curriculum. At times seeming like a one man band, Nancy wrote grants, selected software, developed in-service workshops to train teachers and teach parents, selected and maintained hardware and troubleshot all the problems that arose with the establishment of the computer labs at all levels. She continued to update and train teachers in the system’s technology until her retirement after 29 years of service to the district.