2024 SPS Principal, Educator & Counselor Award Nominations
Nominate a Seattle Public Schools principal, educator or counselor that is advancing racial equity and educational justice for an award of up to $25,000 before Sunday, March 31, 2024!
We need your help! Nominate excellent principals, educators and counselors for three awards this spring in the form below. The awards recognize and honor outstanding Seattle Public Schools staff who have demonstrated success in advancing educational justice and racial equity in their school communities and classrooms. Combined, the Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence, the Philip B. Swain Excellence in Education Award and the Adrienne Weaver Science Teaching Award total $67,500 in grants awarded for the Seattle Public Schools community. Community nominations play a major role in selecting awardees as part of a process which also considers school-level data. Award winners will be announced later this spring and recognized at our Annual Gala, Auction + After Party on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Nomination Details
- The deadline to submit a nomination for any of the three awards is by midnight on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
- When submitting a nomination below, additional questions will appear below for each award checkbox selected.
- You may nominate someone for a single award or nominate individuals for multiple awards all in one submission.
- We recommend drafting responses in a separate document and copying/pasting into the form as to not lose any written responses.
Learn More About Each Award
The Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence recognizes and honors two outstanding Seattle Public Schools principals who have demonstrated success in promoting educational justice and racial equity at their school. The selection process considers colleague and community nominations, school data, and principal commitment and effectiveness. Principals must have served at least three years in their current school to be eligible for the award. All recipients are publicly recognized and awarded a $25,000 grant to be utilized at their school. The award commemorates Thomas B. Foster, a prominent Seattle attorney who displayed a strong personal commitment to public education. See our previous Foster Award recipients here!
The Philip B. Swain Excellence in Education Award is given annually to up to five teachers and/or counselors in Seattle Public Schools who promote educational justice and racial equity at their school. Nominations are open to teachers and counselors who: teach in grades 6-12, have been with the district for at least three years, and teach at a Title I school. A grant of $2,500 accompanies each award, and may be used at the awardee’s discretion for continuing professional development, for travel associated with such development, and for classroom projects or supplies. The public can nominate teachers and counselors for the award. The award honors Mr. Philip B. Swain, a former teacher who was a passionate advocate for public education throughout his life. See Philip B. Swain Excellence in Education Award recipients here!
The Adrienne Weaver Science Teaching Award is given on an annual basis to a Seattle Public Schools science teacher in grades K-8 who has been with the district for at least three years and teaches at a Title I school. A grant of $5,000 accompanies each award, and may be used at the awardee’s discretion. This award was established to honor Ms. Adrienne Weaver, a former educator who had a love for teaching and science and believed in hands-on learning. See Adrienne Weaver Science Teaching Award recipients here!
Submit a Nomination Below
Nominations for the 2024 Alliance for Education awards cycle is now closed. We are grateful for the outpour of submissions we received highlighting the excellence found across our school district. Click here to sign up for our email newsletter to stay updated on the announcement of award winners!