(CEDAR HILL, TEXAS) One of the most well-respected and longest-serving teachers in Cedar Hill Independent School District was named Cedar Hill ISD STEM Teacher of the Year on Tuesday night.
Permenter Middle School Mathematics Teacher Barimah Amoo Asante, who has taught at the district’s oldest middle school since 2006, has won a $10,000 prize – courtesy of the Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation. Half of the prize is for Permenter Middle School and the other half is for personal use, but Amoo Asante said he’ll put all of it into the campus.
“Barimah Amoo Asante is the epitome of an outstanding Mathematics Teacher,” Cedar Hill ISD Superintendent Dr. Gerald Hudson said. “He makes math enjoyable and relatable to his scholars.” Amoo Asante is the second middle school teacher to win the award since its inception in 2022, following inaugural winner Leslie Moore, who taught at Bessie Coleman Middle School at the time.
When he came to Permenter 18 years ago, Amoo Asante said he felt like he had won the lottery twice. The first time was when he came to the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, colloquially known as the “Green Card Lottery.”
“My motto is ‘changing generations by making a difference in a child’s life,” Amoo Asante said. “Middle School is really where they’re making decisions that will impact their future, before they step into high school.”
Amoo Asante said many of his former scholars visit Permenter to thank him for impacting their lives.
“There were a couple of scholars who returned, and they’re now military officers,” Amoo Asante said. “I also saw a former scholar who’s now working at Wells Fargo Bank.”
Amoo Asante said he grew up struggling with Math until a teacher made it relatable for him. That changed his life, and he’s now able to make Math enjoyable for his scholars.
“I break it down for them and help them understand Math,” Amoo Asante said.
Amoo Asante was born and raised in Kumasi, Ghana – the second largest city in the West African nation.
