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Outstanding Teachers
HGCF launched the Grinspoon awards for Excellence in Teaching in academic year 2002-2003 to honor outstanding teachers in the Pioneer Valley and underscore the critical role that teachers play in preparing youth for the future. The awards have been renamed The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards as other partners have joined HGCF in sponsoring the program. HGCF undertook this program as a way to support and encourage exceptional professionals with the desire to encourage them to remain in the teaching field.
The Program:
- Rewards teachers with a cash award of $600. Teachers are encouraged to use a portion of the money in the classroom
- An engraved plaque is given as a remembrance of the event and their honor
- Each teacher is offered a 3-month YMCA membership
- Honored Teachers are invited to the celebration event at the Log Cabin and are given two tickets to the celebration
- An invitation by WGBY is given to take an on-line course
- A graduate course is offered by Westfield State College
- Pictures are taken by a professional photographer and given to honored teachers
- Other gifts are also given
The Criteria to be a Teacher of Excellence:
- The teacher nominee must be certified by the State of Massachusetts
- Demonstrates professionalism through:
- Excellence in teaching practices
- His/her own professional development
- Good attendance on the job
- Through his/her demonstration of collaboration and cooperation
- Demonstrates enthusiasm for teaching and/or working with children
- The selected teacher is respected by peers, students, and parents
As a means of ensuring a simplistic process for teacher selection and one that is non-political, each school community decides on the selection process, one that is fair and equitable. One teacher is selected for every 1000 students plus a first year teacher – teacher not yet with professional status.
In the 2002-2003 academic school year, 16 school communities took part in the awards program and 96 teachers were honored. In 2008-2009 thirty-eight school communities honored 144 outstanding educators. Over 900 educators have been honored by these communities over the past seven years.
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