Who Should Be Alameda's Next Teacher of the Year?

ALAMEDA - Do you know a teacher who goes above and beyond? Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) is now accepting nominations for its Teacher of the Year program.

Designed to honor and recognize excellent teachers in AUSD, the Teacher of the Year award has in past years gone to a wide range of teachers, including:

• a high school teacher who helps his students learn the craft of media production and story telling (John Dalton, Alameda High School)
• a high school teacher who dedicates many hours to making sure his students understand the complexity of advanced math (Michael Lamb, Alameda High School)
• an elementary school teacher who has shown outstanding commitment to her Title 1 students (Elizabeth Young, former Washington Elementary School, now Maya Lin School)
• an 8th grade core teacher who started an innovative anti-bullying program (Chris Hansen, Lincoln Middle School)
• a high school teacher who introduced her students to innovative thinking and reading skills in the classroom (Tracy Corbally, Alameda Science and Technology Institute)

The Nomination Process

After being nominated, AUSD teachers who meet the county and state criteria are invited to participate in the next phase of the process, which requires them to submit an application packet (including a resume, an introductory letter, and letters of support) to the district office.

The AUSD Teacher of the Year Selection Committee then meets to screen applications and determine which applicants will move onto the next phase: classroom observations. During that stage, the Selection Committee members visit classrooms, interview finalists, and determine this year’s Teacher of the Year.

That teacher will be formally recognized by the Board of Education in May 2016 and honored by the Alameda County Office of Education in the fall of 2016. He or she also becomes eligible for the Alameda County Teacher of the Year Award, as well as potentially the State Teacher of the Year Award.

Who can nominate a teacher? Anyone – including parents, students, staff, and other community members.

Nomination forms are available in the Spotlight section page of the AUSD home page. The deadline is 3 p.m. on February 9.