Biography
Byllie Andrews was born in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in Northern California. Growing up, she learned the value of hard work and dedication working with her parents in their family business, D’Amato’s Restaurant in Redding. Byllie married in 1964, and after receiving her degree in Mathematics from California State University at Chico, moved to Reno in 1970 with her husband John, who was also an educator. She began her teaching career that same year at Vaughn Middle School. Their son, John, was born in 1974. She went on to teach at Hug and Reed High Schools, and in 1977, she accepted a job at Incline High School, where her husband was already teaching. Byllie earned a Master of Arts in School Administration from the University of San Francisco in 1985, while teaching at Incline. She remained at Incline High School until 1992, when she accepted the Math Department Chair position at Galena High School. Byllie also taught Mathematics at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, and went on to teach Research Methodology to graduate students in Sierra Nevada College’s Master’s program for teachers.  She also served as thesis supervisor for students in that program. In April 2003, Byllie accepted a position with Rainshadow Community Charter High School as the Coordinator for Teachers and Curriculum and the Mathematics teacher. She was instrumental in obtaining Rainshadow’s charter from Washoe County School District. Throughout the late 1990s and well into the first decade of this century, Byllie taught in the College of Education and in the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. She earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 2002. In addition to teaching classes, she supervised student interns completing their requirements for certification in classrooms across Washoe County School District. Since losing her husband in 1999 and retiring from Washoe County School District in 2001, Byllie has remained active in education and the community. In addition to her post-retirement work at UNR, Sierra Nevada College, and Rainshadow, Byllie has been involved in numerous community organizations and worked with various campaigns. As a teacher, Byllie worked to provide her students with an exceptional educational experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. Byllie continues to be a strong advocate for education in her current roles as a community leader, recognizing that educating the next generation is the most important task ever undertaken by a community. Byllie Andrews is currently the State President of American Association of University Women Nevada, the Northern Co-Chair of Nevada Women’s Lobby, and the Chair of Grassroots Lobby Days, as well as a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and of the Council of Presidential Awardees in Mathematics. Although retired from the classroom, she continues to be certified in Washoe County to teach Math, Political Science, World and United States History, English, and Computer Programming.		Education: B.A. in Mathematics, California State University at Chico, 1969; M.A. in School Administration, University of San Francisco, 1985; Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Nevada, Reno, 2001. Awards and Honors: Presidential Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, 1986; Tandy Technology Scholar Award, 1992; Nevada State School Board Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, 1986; Washoe County Math Association Outstanding Teacher Award, 1990; Incline High School Parent Teacher Student Association Distinguished Teacher Award, 1992; Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Month, November 1988; Incline Village-Crystal Bay Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Month, October 1986. Endorsements: Reno Gazette-Journal; Nevada State AFL-CIO; Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters; Northern Nevada Central Labor Council; Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte; Stonewall Democrats of Washoe County. Past Committees and Advisorships: Northern Nevada Subcommittee, Commission on Professional Standards in Mathematics Education for the State of Nevada; State Board of Education Task Force on Secondary School Standards; Nevada Mathematics Network, appointed by the State of Nevada; Washoe Secondary Mathematics Curriculum Writing Team; Incline High School Scholarship Committee; Nevada District Chair, National Forensic League; Secretary, Nevada State High School Speech Association; Northern Nevada Forensic League; Steering Committee for the Incline High School ten-year accreditation; Selection Committee for the Presidential Award in the Excellence of Mathematics Teaching; Chair of the Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony at UNR; Galena High School and Incline High School National Honor Societies; Incline High School and Reed High School Math Clubs; Incline High School Speech and Debate. Past Professional and Community Organizations: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; Mathematical Association of America; Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics; Phi Kappa Phi Education Honor Society; Northern Nevada Math Council; National Education Association; State Education Association; Washoe County Teachers Association; National Forensics League; Association for Excellence in Education; Nevada Women’s Political Caucus.