This educator spotlight on Dr. Beverly S. Mathis, the Public Education Foundation’s Vice President of Teacher Engagement and Early Learning, is featured in “Along the Pathway”, our monthly Teacher Pathway newsletter. Each edition features updates regarding the Teacher Pathway program, participant and community partner spotlights, and programming goals our mentees are working towards that will support them in becoming dynamic educators in local classrooms. To receive the newsletter in your inbox each month, please email teacher.pathway@thepef.org.
Anyone with an eye on education in Southern Nevada has heard the name, Dr. Beverly Sue Mathis. Rooted in a passion for education stemming back to her youth, Dr. Beverly Mathis is one of 24 prominent African-American citizens of Southern Nevada to have the incredible honor of having a school in Clark County School District named after them. To Dr. Bev, as she is endearingly called, education is the epitome of life and keeps one balanced. She also firmly believes that everyone has the ability to be an educator, they just need the opportunity to do so. It is this shared belief that propels so much of the work that both the Teacher Pathway Team and the Teacher Engagement and Early Learning Team do. Dr. Bev has been an educator for over 50 years, yet she never really feels like she’s worked a day in her life. As she eloquently puts it, “when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work at all.”
When asked to share her her fondest memories connected to the opening of Dr. Beverly S. Mathis Elementary School in 2017, Dr. Bev shared how she wanted the campus that would bear her name to be a “magical” place where students would love to be and learn. She also shared that the distinction of being a CCSD namesake was not one which she took lightly. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” For Dr. Bev, this adage could not be more true. In the Family Engagement and Leadership classes that she teaches at the Public Education Foundation for upcoming educators, she implores each student to take the time to truly understand who their campus was named after and why the contributions they have made to their communities were worthy of such a tribute. For Dr. Bev, the same care and intention parents put into naming a child is and should be placed into designating school namesakes.
Her legacy as a compassionate educator and pillar in her community is not only seen in the passion for education shared by Mathis Mustangs of all ages. Dr. Bev’s legacy shines through her youngest daughter, Ashley Rae Mathis, who was recently acknowledged amongst a national pool of educators as the new Head of School of Notre Dame San Jose. Ashley credits her parents Dr. Beverly S. Mathis and Ray Mathis as being her first and best educators.
