Introduction and Background

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is proud to coordinate several programs intended to uplift outstanding educators from across the District, including educator awards. Please use this form to nominate educators for consideration for the OSSE educator awards categories or opportunities described below. These awards are open to all DC public school teachers, including teachers working in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and DC public charter schools.

• DC Teacher of the Year: The DC Teacher of the Year program celebrates outstanding educators who are experts in their craft as demonstrated by accelerated growth for all students, and who demonstrate leadership beyond the classroom by partnering with colleagues, students, families and communities to support innovation in teaching and learning, and who champion the teaching profession. Educators working in pre-K 3-adult education at a DC local education Agency (LEA) are eligible for consideration.

• DC Educator Talent Pool: The DC Educator Talent Pool recognizes and leverages the expertise of outstanding District of Columbia educators. Rather than culminating in a specific award, the Talent Pool is used as a resource for awards, development of practitioner committees, targeted professional development activities and more. Please feel welcome to nominate outstanding teachers, specialists, principals and administrators to be part of this pool.

• DC History Teacher of the Year: The DC History Teacher of the Year program is a partnership between OSSE and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI). Educators considered for the History Teacher of the Year award must meet the following criteria: Current teacher in a District of Columbia public, public charter, private or religious school; at least three years of classroom teaching experience; will teach for at least one year following the award year; a demonstrated commitment to teaching American history; evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom; and effective use of documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories and other primary sources to engage students with American history. Consideration of these factors will be based on the grade level taught to accommodate the teaching requirements of both generalist and specialist teachers.

• Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST): The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching. The award recognizes those teachers who have both deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas. Awardees reflect the expertise and dedication of the nation's teaching corps, and they demonstrate the positive impact of excellent teachers on student achievement. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

• Superintendent’s Advisory Councils: The Superintendent’s Advisory Councils, which includes the Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) and the Principal Advisory Council (PAC) represent a diverse group of teachers and school leaders who reflect the educator workforce across the city, including both DC Public Schools and public charter schools. The TAC and PAC works alongside OSSE's senior leadership, including the State Superintendent and division leaders, to provide them insight, feedback and advice on issues that impact students, educators, classrooms and schools across the District.

You may nominate one educator for multiple categories, but please only nominate one educator per form submission. You are welcome to submit this form multiple times. DC teachers are also encouraged to nominate themselves for consideration.

For awards and opportunities that require applications, teachers will be notified by OSSE of their nomination and provided with the necessary information for next steps. Your information will only be shared with the educator if you check the box on the form that provides OSSE with permission to share

For questions about this form or these award categories, please contact Megan Dumond, Division of Teaching & Learning, at Megan.Dumond@dc.gov.