Nominate a Teacher...for a Distinguished Teachers Award

The Distinguished Teachers Awards Committee, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established in 1984 to recognize and celebrate excellence among the dedicated teaching staff of the Greenwich Public Schools. The Committee is comprised of approximately 20 members and is a balance of representatives from the Greenwich Education Association (teachers), the Greenwich Organization of School Administrators, PTA Council (parents), and Board of Education, and members of the community. Members serve a three-year term. The awardees are selected based solely on the written information provided in each candidate’s Nomination Packet.

DTA Nomination Packets - 2020 Packets

Nomination Directions (English)

Nomination Directions (Spanish)

REQUIRED FORMS As part of the Distinguished Teachers Awards (DTA) Nomination Packet, each Distinguished Teacher Candidate, the Nominator and Seconders must complete the relevant forms below and as described in the Nomination Instruction Packet above - click on links below to download the Word document. Please complete the form in the Word format and submit with the completed Nomination Packet.

(Nominators are responsible for collecting and submitting all forms for DTA Nomination by March 12, 2020, 5:00 p.m.)

Form I - Information Form (Completed by Nominator) -- English | Spanish

Form II - Acknowledgement Form (Completed by Candidate) -- English | Spanish

Form III - Resume Form (Completed by Candidate) -- English | Spanish

Form IV - Response to Criteria Form for Teacher Candidate (Completed by Candidate) -- English | Spanish

Form V - Writing Prompt Form (Completed by Candidate) -- English | Spanish

Form VI - Response to Criteria Form for Nominator/Seconder (Completed by Nominator/Seconder) -- English | Spanish

Form VII - Response to Criteria Form for Nominator/Seconder (Completed by Nominator/Seconder) -- English | Spanish

Form VIII - Response to Criteria Form for Nominator/Seconder (Completed by Nominator/Seconder) -- English | Spanish

Important Dates for 2020 DTA Program

Nov.-Mar.	Nomination Packets available on the GPS web site (available soon in each school)
March 12, 5:00pm	Deadline for completed nomination packet – submitted in person to the Havemeyer Building/Communications Office
April 21	Distinguished Teachers Award Committee selection of finalists
April 21 (evening)	Candidates, nominators and principals notified by telephone
April 22	Finalists announced at their schools
April 23	Finalists are presented at the Board of Education meeting at Riverside School by the Chairman of the DTAC. Finalists also attend a dinner at Riverside School with the Board members prior to the meeting; photographs are taken. (Nominators, seconders, colleagues and family members are encouraged to attend the Board of Ed. Meeting.)
May 5	Distinguished Teachers Award Ceremony Location: Central Middle School Auditorium 4:30pm – 5:30pm (Nominators will present their candidate in a brief introduction, no more than one minute. Finalists are asked to make a very brief acceptance speech. Seconders, colleagues and family members are encouraged to attend the ceremony.)

DTA Eligibility Requirements

For complete eligibility and criteria information, review the Nomination Packet Instructions available annually in December.

To be eligible for the award, a nominee must:

• be a full-time* staff member** who teaches in the Greenwich Public Schools
• have completed at least five (5) years of teaching
• have completed at least three (3) years of teaching in the Greenwich Public Schools
• be an employee in good standing
(Previous award recipients are not eligible for re-nomination.)

* equal to or greater than 0.5
**any member of the GEA, including teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, and school psychologists

Nominations MUST provide the diverse perspectives of an administrator, colleague, and a parent or student. Nominations may be made by anyone representing one of the following categories; the seconders must represent the remaining two categories:

one professional colleague, currently employed by the Greenwich Public Schools
one parent/student/other current community member
one administrator, currently employed by the Greenwich Public Schools

(Members of the Distinguished Teachers Award Committee may not nominate or second a nomination.)

Only one nomination packet per candidate will be accepted. We will accept the first nomination submitted; any subsequent nominations for the same candidate will not be accepted.

Criteria of a Distinguished Teacher:

The main emphasis in identifying a distinguished teacher is the quality of the teacher’s work with students. Candidates nominated for the Distinguished Teachers Award should be those who exhibit the qualities which are listed below. It is essential that nominators and seconders cite specific examples of the following qualities:

* Inspires enthusiasm, expects students to take responsibility for their own learning, and elicits a high level of achievement from students in relation to their individual abilities

* Demonstrates and continues to pursue a high mastery of subject matter and best practices for instruction

* Has the respect of students, parents and colleagues

* Communicates well with parents and students

* Collaborates and makes contributions to improve overall student achievement within the classroom

* Makes contributions to improve the school and/or the District beyond the classroom

For questions about nominations or procedures, please contact the Communications Office at the Havemeyer Building at 203-625-7415 or sasha_houlihan@greenwich.k12.ct.us.