The teacher policy and recruitment group TNTP has announced the four winners of its annual Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice.
The honorees, each of whom will receive a not-to-be-sneezed-at $25,000, are:
- Erin Dukeshire, a 6th grade science teacher at Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury, Mass.;
- Eric Mariola, a kindergarten teacher at KIPP East Community Primary in New Orleans;
- Zeke Phillips, 5th grade English teacher Excel Academy in Chelsea, Mass.; and
- Stephanie Sun, 5th Grade English teacher at Achievement First Brownsville Middle School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Of note: All the winners work at charter or nontraditional public schools, perhaps reflecting—or supporting—TNTP’s interest in education reform initiatives and alternative staffing models (though past winners have hailed from regular public schools).
Six finalists, each of whom will receive $1,000, were also named.
The Fishman award is designed to recognize excellence in teaching and bring attention to the instructional practices of standout educators. The winners were selected from a pool of some 5,000 nominations and 800 applications.
In addition to a written application, the selection process includes submission of teaching video, an unannounced classroom observation, and an interview with the judges.
The winners are also invited to participate in a summer residency program. During the program, according to TNTP’s website, the teachers explore issues shaping their profession, meet with top educators and policymakers, and discuss and work on essays about their teaching strategies, “to be shared in a robust knowledge base on effective instructional practice.”
Essay collections by previous winners are available here.
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