Awards for Teaching Excellence
The 2012 Awards for Teaching Excellence
On Friday, February 10, 2012 at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala, Danielle Kovach, a special education teacher at Tulsa Trail Elementary School in Hopatcong, NJ, received one of public education’s top honors: The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence and $25,000.
Watch a video of Kovach's acceptance speech.
Photo: Danielle Kovach, special education teacher from Hopatcong, NJ, and recipient of the $25,000 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence
Read more about these educators
Nominate an Excellent Educator Now for the 2013 NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence
Don’t miss this opportunity to shine the spotlight on an excellent educator from your state. All applications for the national awards must be submitted to the Foundation electronically by Tuesday, May 1, 2012.
About the Awards for Teaching Excellence
The NEA Foundation's Awards for Teaching Excellence recognize, reward, and promote excellence in teaching and advocacy for the profession. They also honor public education and the dedicated members of the NEA.
The NEA Foundation and the National Education Association jointly present the awards with support from California Casualty, Horace Mann Educators Corporation, NEA Member Benefits, and Pearson Foundation. All awardees are honored at The NEA Foundation's Salute to Excellence in Education Gala held in Washington, DC each February.
All California Casualty awardees receive expenses-paid travel to The NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in Washington, DC. Five awardees are selected for The Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence and receive $10,000 each plus expenses-paid travel for themselves and a guest. The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence recipient, selected from the five, receives an additional $25,000 in cash and a personalized commemorative gift.
Photo: (Left to right) Harriet Sanford, The NEA Foundation President & CEO; Beau Brown, California Casualty President, Chairman & CEO; Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow, The NEA Foundation Board Chair
National Level
The national selection panel chooses the five recipients of The Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence from among the affiliate awardees. Panelists include those appointed by the President and CEO of the NEA Foundation and the NEA President, as well as national awardees from previous years. Practitioners are well represented.
The Horace Mann awardees are invited for personal interviews and, based on these interviews, the NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence recipient is chosen.
Photo: (Left to right, top to bottom) Dennis Van Roekel, NEA President; Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow, The NEA Foundation Board Chair; Harriet Sanford, The NEA Foundation President & CEO; Peter H. Heckman, Horace Mann President & CEO; John Stocks, NEA Executive Director; and finalists: Jonathan Gillentine, Lisa Esquibel, Cara Haney, Danielle Kovach, Jeff Peneston