Awards for Teaching Excellence
NEA Foundation 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 NEA Member Benefits, the Horace Mann Companies, the Pearson Foundation, and the Burt's Bees Greater Good Foundation.
The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence recipient receives $25,000 in cash, expenses-paid travel to the gala for him or herself and a guest, and a commemorative gift. The four other finalists for the national award each receive The Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence, $10,000 in cash and expenses-paid travel to the gala for themselves and a guest. All awardees are honored at The NEA Foundation's Salute to Excellence in Education Gala held in Washington, DC each February.
Thanks to support from the Pearson Foundation, the five top awardees receive digital arts training for their schools. The educators are honored at the gala with videos created by teams of students and teachers.
Read stories about past awardees and view the video profiles produced by their students
NEA Foundation Announces 2010 Finalists
The following educators have been selected as the 2010 national finalists for The NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Sarah Baird, a math coach at Kyrene del Milenio and Kyrene de las Lomas Elementary Schools in Phoenix, Ariz.
Katherine Bishop, a special education teacher at Lake Park Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, a second grade teacher at Dilworth Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Tim McCollum, an eighth grade science teacher at Charleston Middle School in Charleston, Ill.
Bob Williams, a high school math teacher at Colony High School in Palmer, Alaska.
The finalists were selected from 38 public school educators nominated by their peers for the Awards for Teaching Excellence. The nominations were submitted by the educators’ National Education Association state affiliates. Read more about the 2010 finalists.
View all 2010 affiliate awardees
Nomination
Each spring, the Foundation invites every NEA state, federal, and direct affiliate to nominate one outstanding educator for these prestigious awards. All members of a local NEA affiliate or bargaining unit, including teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff, are eligible for The NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Through these awards, the Foundation recognizes innovative instructional experts who also advocate for public education; connect students with community resources; engage in professional development and lifelong learning; and attend to diversity.