Nominations for the eighth annual Big Apple Awards are now open, says New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza–and you can nominate your kids’ favorite teachers and counselors through December 2. The Big Apple Awards is a citywide recognition program that honors full-time teachers who “demonstrate strong teaching practices and enrich their school communities with strong, rigorous instruction.”
Nominees must be current full-time public school teachers or college counselors in a district school, charter school, or early childhood education center in NYC. Teachers can be nominated by students, parents, fellow educators, community members, and school staff. Nominees are reviewed based on their demonstrated success in three areas that align with the DOE's Framework for Great Schools: impacting student learning, demonstrating strong instructional practice, and contributing to their school community. Following the nomination, the selection committee reviews all applications and then invites 1,000 teachers and counselors to complete an application for the Big Apple Awards. From there, the DOE will choose up to 250 finalists, who will showcase their accomplishments and teaching for their district superintendent through an interview and/or classroom visit.
Last year’s judging panel–made up of DOE officials and representatives from the United Federation of Teachers and Fund for Public Schools–selected 17 award recipients from a record 7,100 nominations. That’s triple the amount of nominations received in the awards’ first year. Award recipients will represent teachers citywide for the 2020-21 school year as Big Apple Fellows and members of the Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Group while continuing their work in the classroom. You can learn more about 2019-2020 award winners here!
Big Apple Award winners are teachers from schools and neighborhoods across the city, who represent many different backgrounds and subject areas. To nominate your child’s outstanding teacher or counselor, or one you love in your community, head to the Big Apple Awards website.
