Distinguished Teachers Awards - Greenwich Public Schools

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.

2022 Distinguished Teachers

The Distinguished Teachers Award Committee (DTAC) has named this year’s 2022 Distinguished Teachers.

2022 Distinguished Teachers:

Ms. Libby Craig, International School at Dundee, Advanced Learning Program
Mr. Ryan Jones, Greenwich High School, Social Studies
Ms. Alison Kistler, North Mianus School, Kindergarten
Ms. Tyler Mecozzi, Western Middle School, Science
Mr. William Ronk, Riverside School, Fourth-Grade
Ms. Darcey Zygmont, North Street School, Third-Grade

GPS Distinguished Teachers are eligible for selection for the CT Teacher of the Year Program. The GPS selection for this program will be decided in June by the Superintendent.

About the Distinguished Teachers Awards Program
Nominations for GPS Distinguished Teachers are submitted by students, parents, and colleagues in early March each year. Each member of the Distinguished Teachers Awards Committee (DTAC), Inc. reviews every nomination packet. At the annual “vote meeting” in April, DTAC members submit their ballots anonymously and without discussion. The ballots are tallied and the six teachers with the most votes are selected to receive the Distinguished Teacher Award. The Distinguished Teachers Awards Committee includes no more than 20 members, with representatives from The Board of Education, The Greenwich Education Association (GEA), The Greenwich Organization of School Administrators (GOSA), the PTA Council, and members of the community including representatives from the Kiwanis and other community organizations, parents and many previously named Greenwich Distinguished Teachers.

2022 Distinguished Teachers Awards Ceremony

DTA Information and Past Winners

DTA Nomination Packets - 2022 Packets - NOMINATIONS CLOSED

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 18, 2022, 5:00 p.m.)

NOTE: Nominator must collect and submit all pages ELECTRONICALLY AND IN A SINGLE EMAIL to DTAC2022Nominations@gmail.com. Please CC Seconder and Administrator ONLY on the submission (DO NOT include the Teacher Candidate). Nominators will receive an email confirming receipt of your submission. PLEASE NOTE: NO HARD COPY SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER 5:00PM ON MARCH 18, 2022.

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 2022 DTA Program

Dec.-Mar.	Nomination Packets available on the GPS web site
March 18 5:00pm	Deadline for completed nomination packet – submitted electronically
April 26	Distinguished Teachers Award Committee selection of finalists
April 26 (evening)	Candidates, nominators and principals notified by telephone or email
April 27	Finalists announced at their schools
April 28 (if permissible)	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 (if permissible)	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 communications@greenwich.k12.ct.us.