Thomas Friedman describes a great program for recognizing and rewarding teachers. But it's not a state or federal program - it's done at a small college as part of their commencement:
Every year, in addition to granting honorary degrees, Williams also honors four high school teachers. But not just any high school teachers. Williams asks the 500 or so members of its senior class to nominate the high school teachers who had a profound impact on their lives. Then each year a committee goes through the roughly 50 student nominations, does its own research with the high schools involved and chooses the four most inspiring teachers.It sounds like a great idea. I wonder if any other colleges do anything similar? Posted by Tom Nugent at June 10, 2005 02:54 PMEach of the four teachers is given $2,000, plus a $1,000 donation to his or her high school. The winners and their families are then flown to Williams, located in the lush Berkshires, and honored as part of the graduation weekend.
Actually, MIT does something a little like that, but I don't think there's money involved, at least when I was a student. When I accepted my place at MIT they asked if there was a high school teacher that particularly inspired me. I name my physics teacher. A few years later he got an award because everyone who went to MIT from my school (not a lot of people, just me my year, on the year before, and one three years after me) was naming him too.
Posted by: Elizabeth Dew at June 13, 2005 06:06 AMOf all the places in the cosmos, Western Illinois University (home of the Leathernecks, for those of you who don't frequent Ohio Valley Conference athletics), polls its incoming fresmen asking them to volunteer the name of any teachers that "inspired" them to be good students. Teachers who get named get a nice letter and a little certificate. I have been fortunate enough to be honored by former students twice.
Posted by: Tom at June 13, 2005 07:03 AM