Students, parents, colleagues and other members of the community are all invited to nominate the best teacher they know for a prestigious new award that brings with it $25,000 for the winner and $10,000 more for his or her school.
The Flag Award for Teaching Excellence, established last year in Manhattan, will go to one educator in each of the five boroughs. Each finalist will also be rewarded, with $10,000 personally and another $2,000 for an arts-based initiative at his or her school.
“With this award, we honor and celebrate the teachers that go above and beyond in their role as educators and who are impactful mentors for their students,” the philanthropists Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, founders of The Flag Award for Teaching Excellence, said in a statement. They added that as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges education, teachers have found innovative ways to meet the needs of students. The award is designed to recognize the best, who will be chosen by an independent jury.
The competition is open to all K-12 city public schoolteachers, and nominations are being accepted through Dec. 15. Details are posted at flagaward.org.