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You have the opportunity to be nominated by WEAC for the NEA’s Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) Award for Teaching Excellence. Under this program, Wisconsin selects one nominee and submits that person’s name to the NFIE. The NFIE then selects six national winners. If you are interested personally, or wish to nominate someone else, read on!
Wisconsin’s nominee receives a $1,000 cash award from WEAC and also can attend, at no cost, the Salute to Excellence in Education Event, held in Washington, D.C., in February 2009.
WEAC’s nominee also is eligible for one of several national awards: Five of the state nominees receive the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence, which include $10,000 cash. One of these five will receive the NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence. This award includes an additional $25,000 in cash and a personalized commemorative gift.
More Information about the NFIE Award for Teaching Excellence
Purpose: The purpose of the NFIE awards is to recognize, reward, and promote teaching excellence. “Teaching excellence” comprises professional practice, advocacy for the profession, community engagement, leadership in professional development, and attention to diversity.
Eligibility: All current members of an NEA local affiliate or bargaining unit are eligible, including teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff. Nominees must be current members of their local NEA affiliate or bargaining unit.
Nomination requirements: If you are interested in participating, you must submit an entry form to WEAC, postmarked no later than April 7, 2008. WEAC staff and members, who do not have a vested interested in the award, will screen candidates and recommend Wisconsin’s nominee to Mary Bell, WEAC president, who will make the final decision. The name of the Wisconsin nominee must be sent to the NEA no later than May 1, 2008.
Criteria: Nominations will be judged by the criteria listed below, using a 10-point scale, in which “1” represents minimal evidence of the criterion and “10” represents strong evidence.
1. Professional Practice: The nominee demonstrates instructional expertise, creativity, and innovation. The nominee uses a variety of pedagogical techniques and effectively addresses students’ different learning styles and needs. The nominee is an instructional leader at the local, state, and/or national level.
2. Advocacy for the Profession: The nominee is a current, active member of the local, state, and/or national education association, and has assumed leadership roles at one or more of these levels. The nominee is an active member of other professional organizations and engages in activities that advance the profession and public education. The nominee speaks out on behalf of public education, educators, and students.
3. Community Engagement: The nominee frequently interacts with parents and other community members on substantive issues in teaching and learning. The nominee identifies and helps to bring community resources to students in both formal and informal settings.
4. Leadership in Professional Development: The nominee continually engages in experiences to improve his or her practice and gain new skills and knowledge. The nominee consistently shares new learning with colleagues in a variety of venues. The nominee’s participation in and commitment to professional development has a visible impact on his or her institution, students, and community.
5. Attention to Diversity: The nominee works to provide a learning environment that meets the needs of all students, regardless of differences. The nominee recognizes and explicitly addresses the variety of values and experiences represented in modern society, through curriculum and instruction and in other interactions with students.
How to participate: If you wish to participate, you must include all of the materials listed below. Except where otherwise noted, all documents must be typewritten, using 12-point or larger type, double-spaced, and with margins of at least one inch on all sides. Page limitations are noted for each section. Nominations that do not conform to these guidelines will be disqualified.
The nomination package must include the following components:
A. DATA SHEET
B. RESUME/BIBLIOGRAPHY
C. NOMINEE’S STATEMENT
D. LETTERS OF ENDORSEMENT
A. DATA SHEET — 1 page, 12 pt. font or larger: The data sheet must be typewritten. Handwritten data sheets will not be accepted. The data sheet can be found at the end of this file.
B. RESUME/BIOGRAPHY — Maximum 1 page: 1 inch or greater margins on all sides, double-spaced, 12 pt. font or larger. This should be a brief, factual overview of the nominee’s career, including positions held, degrees attained, honors received, etc. This section also may describe personal achievements or activities that are not noted elsewhere.
C. NOMINEE’S STATEMENT — Maximum 5 pages: 1 inch margins on all sides, double-spaced, 12 pt. font or larger. This statement must be written by the nominee, as a first-person narrative. The statement should address the seven questions below and include specific examples that illustrate one or more of the award criteria. If an example is meant to address multiple criteria, it may be helpful to use keywords or phrases to guide the reader. The questions below do not need to be reproduced in the text; however, nominees are asked to include headings or keywords related to the criteria to aid the panelists in their reading. Suggested headings are provided below in bold font.
1) (Innovations) What are the most successful innovations that you have introduced in your classroom or school? What strategies or methods do you use to ensure that all students achieve at a high level? How do you act as an instructional leader?
2 ) (Association Involvement) How has your involvement in the National Education Association or NEA affiliate(s) contributed to your success as an educator? How would you persuade a new colleague to join or become more active in the association? In what other ways do you serve as an advocate for the profession and for public education?
3) (Community Involvement) What role(s) do you feel professional educators should play in the life of the community, and why? Conversely, how can community resources enhance student learning, and why are they important?
4) (Beneficial Experiences/Activities) What experiences or activities have been most beneficial to your professional knowledge, skills, and practice? How have you contributed to the professional development of your colleagues? How has your professional growth made a difference for your school or university, your students, and your community? Include examples from your experiences.
5) (Diversity) How do you address issues of diversity in your curriculum and instruction and in other interactions with students? What is the result of such efforts? How does your approach to diversity affect your work?
6) (Making a Difference) If you have not already done so, tell a story about how your approach to teaching made a difference for a student or a group of students.
7) (Advice) What advice would you give to someone entering the profession on how to attain teaching excellence?
D. LETTERS OF ENDORSEMENT — Maximum six total pages (up to three letters, maximum two pages each). Double space is preferred, but single spaced letters are allowed.
As many as three letters of endorsement for the nominee may be attached. The endorsements may come from the nominee’s local affiliate president, immediate colleagues, peers, current or former students, parents, or community members. Letters of endorsement must note how long the writer has known the nominee and in what capacity the writer is able to comment on the nominee’s professional work. Letters should be signed, and the salutation should address the National Panel for the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.
All letters of endorsement must be submitted as part of the nomination package .
If you have any questions, contact Russ Allen (AllenR@WEAC.org,
1-800-362-8034, or 276-7711, extension 293).
Mail all materials to:
WEAC
Attn: Gayle Isermann
Campus for Teaching and Learning
P. O. Box 8003
Madison, Wisconsin 53708-8003.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 7, 2008.
THE NEA FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE
PART A: DATA SHEET
State, Federal, or Direct Affiliate Information
President: Mary Bell
Affiliate Name: Wisconsin Education Association Council
Address: 33 Nob Hill Dr
City: Madison State: Wisconsin Zip: 53708-8003
Telephone: 800-362-8034 Fax: 608-276-8191 Email: bellM@weac.org
Nominee Information
Nominee:
Home Address:
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Telephone: Fax: Email:
School/Institution:
Work Address:
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Job Title:
For teachers, what do you teach? Subject(s): Grade(s):
Nominee’s Employer Information
Superintendent or Institution President:
District or Institution:
Address:
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Principal or Dean:
School or College:
Address:
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Local Affiliate Information
President:
Affiliate Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Telephone: Fax: Email: