CHICAGO — (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM) — Golden Apple, a leader in advancing the teaching profession in Illinois for 25 years, is pleased to announce the 10 recipients of the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
The honorees, all high school teachers, were selected from a pool of 562 nominees. (The complete list of 2010 Golden Apple teachers can be found at the end of this release.)
Golden Apple has recognized outstanding Chicago-area educators annually since 1986. The creation of Golden Apple founders Mike and Pat Koldyke, the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching recognize and honor outstanding teachers for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated citizenry.
Each Golden Apple Award recipient receives a tuition-free, six-month sabbatical to study at Northwestern University. Each winner also receives a $3,000 cash award. Perhaps most importantly, Golden Apple teachers become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, providing a stronger voice and a larger stage from which to make an impact, through ongoing professional development and engagement in education reform, such as the mentoring of future teachers through Golden Apple’s Scholars program.
“Every year we have an amazing group of recipients and this year’s teachers are no different,” said Golden Apple President and CEO Dominic Belmonte. “We believe teachers should have the opportunity to develop their ideas and a forum to share their thoughts on improving education. We’re proud to have achieved 25 years of providing such important resources and recognition to our best educators.”
The recipients of the 2010 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be honored at a black-tie event on Friday, October 15, at WTTW/Channel 11 Studios in Chicago. WTTW will also broadcast the awards in a one-hour television program following the event.
Golden Apple accepts nominations for the Awards each fall. Anyone may nominate an eligible teacher but teachers may not nominate themselves. Eligible teachers must be full-time classroom teachers at public or non-public schools in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, or Will counties and be committed to continue teaching in Illinois for at least two subsequent years. Awards focus on a rotating group of grade levels (Pre-K – 3, 4 – 8, and 9 – 12). In 2010, high school teachers are the focus of the Awards.
Distinguished retired teachers, college/university professors, administrators, and former Golden Apple Award winners serve on Golden Apple’s selection committee. Committee members apply research-based professional standards to identify teachers who exemplify the highest standards and practices of the teaching profession. The selection process includes classroom observations of all Award finalists and interviews with colleagues, supervisors, students, and parents.
Golden Apple Academy members have directly helped more than 5,000 Illinois teachers to become more effective in the classroom and indirectly helped tens of thousands of others.
Additionally, half a million Illinois children have been positively impacted by the Golden Apple Scholars who have become teachers in Illinois since 1993 through advanced teacher preparation and mentoring by Academy members. The 250 currently active Academy members have more than 2,000 collective years of teaching experience.
About Golden Apple
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Golden Apple began with founders Mike and Pat Koldyke and a shared inspiration — to offer outstanding schoolteachers a level of recognition and engagement in the larger work of education reform.
Golden Apple’s successful track record of integrated, innovative programs and resources enhance the quality, resiliency, and creativity of classroom teachers and improve teaching and learning throughout Illinois. Qualified, passionate educators — including Golden Apple Award-winners and finalists — lead a small staff of dedicated employees with functional and program expertise.
A connected and committed board of directors oversees Golden Apple’s strategic direction. Together with a larger community of expert educators, this nonprofit organization works to ensure that all Illinois children have the excellent teachers they deserve.
Visit www.goldenapple.org for more information.
2010 Golden Apple Teachers:
- Dr. David Baar
- Choral Music
- Providence St Mel School
- Chicago
- Mr. Anthony Curtis
- Survey Literature, Survey Literature Honors
- Phoenix Military Academy
- Chicago
- Mr. Jacob Gourley, ’94 Scholar
- Government Honors Government, AP U.S. History, College Prep Seminar
- Thornton Fractional South High School
- Lansing
- Ms. Susan Harsa
- French 1, French 3 Honors, French 4 Honors
- Saint Francis High School
- Wheaton
- Mr. Darshan Jain
- Geometry PreCalculus
- Adlai E. Stevenson High School
- Lincolnshire
- Ms. Rosalind Kline-Thomas
- Algebra I
- Michele Clark Academic Prep High School
- Chicago
- Mr. Jungsun Moon
- Junior Year English, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition
- King College Preparatory High School
- Chicago
- Scott Reed, NBCT, ’07 TOD
- Physics, Honors Physics
- Niles North High School
- Niles
- Aaron Reedy
- Biology, Zoology
- Thomas Kelly High School
- Chicago
- Patrice Turk, NBCT
- Literary Studies, Advanced Placement Literature and Composition
- Chicago Academy High School
- Chicago
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