by Kris Schoech
and Laura Vass

Science teacher, Rae Anne “Randi” Dotter, Cotopaxi Schools was recently the Colorado recipient of the National University System- Colorado Sanford Teacher Award. The Sanford Teacher Awards are given to one teacher in D.C and one in each state for a total of 51 awards nationwide. The Sanford Teacher Award is based on criteria of inspiring teaching, and all finalists qualify for being named the nation’s top inspirational teacher in 2019; The awards are supported by philanthropist I. Denny Sanford. The qualities identified by the Sanford Teacher Award reflect the mission of education-focused programs that are being expanded nationally through the leadership of the private, nonprofit National University System, which is home to one of the top ten largest schools of education in the country.
It’s always a welcome surprise when a rural school teacher wins an award of this caliber. Randi’s teaching methodology and over and above average efforts in and out of the classroom are indeed unique and have won the hearts of her students and their parents.
A Military Career
Randi had a full career before becoming a Science teacher with Cotopaxi Schools (where she has taught for 12 years,) and has had more than an average career chock full of field experience to offer her students. Randi entered the teaching profession through the “Troops to Teachers” program in 2006, following a 20-year U.S. Air Force career as a KC/EC-135 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot which included a tour as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Air Force Academy. Randi is also a combat veteran who served in Desert Storm in 1991 and did five tours of support for Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
A Teaching Career
To understand Randi’s accomplishments and contribution to the school, one must first understand the community and where she works. Cotopaxi is a small, rural school located in south central Colorado serving 214 preschool through high school students. A high percentage of the student population lives at poverty level. This circumstance has not stopped Ms. Dotter from reaching her students and opening their minds to new opportunities in the sciences. Each day, she finds ways to go beyond basic instruction to make Science relevant and engaging. No matter what she teaches, she finds a way to make real world applications that inspire her students as well as other teachers.
Making Science Exciting and Relevant
Cotopaxi schools has been involved heavily in STEM. Ms. Dotter has been instrumental in that effort; she aided the school in applying for one of the initial grants for the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond (MMB) Program conducted by the Challenger Learning Center (CLC). ( Randi wrote a detailed article on the field trip to the CLC last spring and there was a full page spread in the Sentinel.)
This unique experience has been arranged again, making it the 12th on site “Return to the Moon” Challenger Mission in March of 2019 with her 9th grade Physical Science students. The students travel to the Challenger Learning Center in Colorado Springs to complete the intense, stress-filled space simulation in which they work as a team to navigate through space, communicate effectively, problem solve life support and medical issues, analyze data, build and launch space probes, and complete their mission successfully. These realistic space simulations give the students a window into the skills needed to become part of future human planetary space exploration.
As a 2016 Centurylink “Teacher and Technology” $5,000 grant recipient, she was able to bring Challenger Learning Center Programs to Cotopaxi School for two days of Space and STEM activities that touched every student PreK-12. “Earth and Space Day involved hands-on “STEM Fairytales” and “LEGO WeDo” challenges along with a “Tower-Power” design lesson.
She has just recently become involved in a new project, Growing Beyond Earth,” a partnership between Fairchild Botanic Garden and NASA, in which her classroom becomes an active research site. Students cultivate selected plants in a growth chamber that mimics those on the International Space Station, measure and record data on plant growth and health, and input their research into spreadsheets that are actively being used by NASA scientists.
She also facilitated her 11th MMB mission with the 4th and 5th grade students at the school. The “e-mission” is conducted via online meeting software in the school computer lab. She is currently training the 4th grade teacher on the implementation of the program.
This year, she worked with the kindergarten teacher to create an annual “Kindergarten Polymers Day” in which the high school students mentor the kindergarten students to create various polymers and learn about plastics and recycling. She has also contributed solar-powered machine construction kits to the middle school science lab. “I saw this as an opportunity to reach younger students with hands-on science and space programs,” says Ms. Dotter.
Randi has coordinated multiple field trips to the Air Force Academy’s Chemistry, Aeronautics and Astronautics laboratories, and the Academy’s Observatory.
Support Extra-Curricular Activities
Randi has also contributed greatly to students’ positive experiences in fields outside Science. She is in her eighth year of teaching Spanish, expanding our students’ language skills and appreciation for Hispanic culture.
She is in her third year as a faculty advisor for our Drama Club. The group puts on a full-length production each spring.
While the faculty advisor to Student Council from 2011 – 2017, she was asked to start up a middle school leadership program. She works with the group to organize many school and community service projects to grow our future high school student council leaders.
With this list of accomplishments, all of which are deeply appreciated in the Cotopaxi community, it is no wonder that Randi Dotter received the high honor and $10,000 award from Sanford.
Congratulations, Randi!