Cindy Cannon was selected as the recipient of the 2026 Jamin B. Wilson Excellence in Education Award. She possesses a rare gift: the ability to bring a mathematics lesson to life with a level of passion, humor, and excitement never seen by her colleagues.
Cindy has been with D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School for 11 years, teaching Precalculus, Honors Precalculus, and Honors Algebra 3 classes. She prepared D’Evelyn students and inspired them to take higher level math courses. She dedicated countless hours refining the curriculum for all these classes. She integrated SAT-style problems into her students’ lessons, ensuring they not only mastered the material but were prepared for the SAT and PSAT.
Cindy added a speech class to her significant mathematician resume and worked tirelessly to make the curriculum more meaningful. She decided on a “Celebration of Life” speech for her students’ final exam, with the instruction for them to write their own eulogies in the third person, challenging them to think critically about the people they wish to become and the legacy they want to leave. This plan proved to be an overwhelming success!
Cindy’s impact is best described by those she has mentored. A former student who returned to student-teach under Cindy at D’Evelyn, noted that Cindy made complex math seem “easy” by emphasizing the why over the how. She doesn’t teach rote memorization; she teaches students how to think.
Before D’Evelyn, Cindy taught at Chatfield High School. After a combined 30 years in the classroom, Cindy has left a legacy that will be felt for generations. She has inspired students to become math teachers, received numerous letters of gratitude from former D’Evelyn grads, and was recently recognized by a D’Evelyn Boettcher finalist as their most influential educator. Beyond the classroom, her dedication extended to coaching both boys’ and girls’ soccer at Chatfield, leading the girls’ team to four state appearances and two state championships.
Cindy Cannon has proven to inspire not only students but also her colleagues to be better educators simply through her example. She is the very definition of excellence in education.
