Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) met yesterday with Point Pleasant, N.J. teacher John McAllen III, a winner of the White House and National Science Foundation’s (NSF) 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

McAllen, who was joined by his wife Regina, has taught Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, Honors Precalculus, Precalculus, and Geometry at Point Pleasant Borough High School for the past 13 years.

One of just 96 teachers nationwide selected for this award, McAllen traveled to Washington, D.C. for a three-day recognition event, including a stop at the White House this morning.

In his conversation with Smith, McAllen shared that as the son of two teachers, he felt a calling to go into teaching. A former engineer for Johnson & Johnson, McAllen told the congressman he was extremely grateful for New Jersey’s Alternate Route program, a non-traditional teacher preparation program that helps professionals who haven’t completed a formal teacher preparation program transition into teaching. He explained that continued access to this “alternate route” is of the utmost importance in increasing the number of professionals in other fields who decide to make the switch to teaching.

            “Mr. McAllen is a standout teacher,” Smith said. “His parents were teachers. He’s married to a teacher. You might say teaching is in his blood. His dedication to his students has earned him this national award and I am proud he comes from my Congressional District.”

McAllen also told Smith of his visit with the NSF while in Washington. McAllen related that he was impressed by plans discussed for encouraging more teachers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in order to recruit and motivate students to pursue careers in STEM professions.

The McAllens also spoke of their concerns over adequate access to autism education services in school systems, and other autism issues. Smith mentioned pending bills he has introduced in the House dealing with autism—H.R.2007 , the Autism Spectrum Disorders Services Act of 2011, and H.R.2006 , the National Autism Spectrum Disorders Initiative Act of 2011—as well as his landmark legislation enacted in 2000—the Autism Statistics, Surveillance, Research and Epidemiology Act (Title I, P.L. 106-310). The 2000 law created the first comprehensive federal program to combat autism. In 2011, another piece of legislation he authored, The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA), now Public Law 112-32, was enacted and will provide $693 million over the next three years to continue the program.

In addition to his teaching duties, McAllen serves as a Professional Learning Community Facilitator, Mathematics Club Advisor, and Chairman of the Ocean County Mathematics League. McAllen earned his B.S., summa cum laude, in mechanical engineering from Rutgers College of Engineering and his M.S. in mechanical engineering from Rutgers Graduate School.