Everett High School math and engineering teacher Dr. Anna Seiders was named the 2026 Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year, according to an announcement highlighted by Everett Public Schools and the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by RTX.
This one is straightforward. No ordinance fight. No petition theater. Just a teacher getting statewide recognition for work that appears to produce actual results.
The award was recognized at the annual STEM Summit on May 20 at UMass Lowell. It was launched in 2012 and is funded by the Patriots Foundation. As part of the honor, Everett will receive $5,000 in Seiders’ name for STEM education, and she will also be appointed to Governor Maura Healey’s STEM Advisory Council, chaired by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
Superintendent William D. Hart praised Seiders in the district’s announcement. “I have seen and admired the opportunities and exposure Dr. Seiders creates for our students,” Hart said. “She is a credit to the EPS and to teachers everywhere.”
The notable part here is not just the plaque-and-photo-op language that comes with any award. It’s the description of what Seiders is actually doing.
According to the announcement, she helps connect students to internships and job opportunities through “a network of relationships.” She also leads the STEM Club at Everett High, where students compete in Ten80 Education’s Racing and Autonomous Vehicle Challenges. Those teams have earned “multiple awards, top-five finishes, and even the national title.”
That matters because “STEM education” gets thrown around a lot by people who mean little more than buying some gadgets and putting them in a classroom. Seiders’ own quote was more grounded than that.
“I see my students for who they are,” Seiders said. “Not every student is necessarily interested in STEM, but every student can benefit from a STEM education and that can be made accessible by providing opportunities that personally resonate with them.”
That is a more useful description than the usual state-house boilerplate. If you want students to care about math, engineering, or technical work, you have to show them where it goes and why it matters. Internships, competitions, and job exposure do that better than a slogan does.
Gov. Maura Healey called Massachusetts “a global leader in innovation because of incredible STEM educators like Anna Seiders.” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said Seiders will bring “an important voice and perspective” to the STEM Advisory Council. Education Secretary Steve Zrike said educators like Seiders help students build “curiosity, confidence, and problem-solving skills.”
That is all standard praise, but the local takeaway is simpler. Everett got statewide recognition because one of its teachers is connecting students to real-world technical opportunities and getting results people can measure.
For a city that talks often about workforce opportunity, this is what that phrase is supposed to look like in practice.