History of Atlanta Families' Awards for Excellence in Education
By recognizing excellent educators each year, the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education hopes to retain excellent teachers and school leaders, inspire other educators to transform their craft, increase the public's awareness of APS’ success, and promote the leadership initiatives of the district.
The first awards were presented in 2006 at a celebratory event at the Atlanta Speech School. Ten educators were declared winners, each receiving a $4,000 prize, half for a school or classroom project they had proposed during the application process and half for their personal use.
In 2007, five principals and 10 teachers garnered awards and were granted $7,500 each: one-third of the money was to fund a classroom or school project, one-third to pursue a professional development opportunity, and one-third for the winner’s personal use. The Atlanta Families hosted the third annual event recognizing 13 outstanding educators in 2008; in 2009, the Atlanta Families honored 15 excellent educators. There were 16 award recipients in 2010, our largest cohort to date.
This year, we are now more resolved than ever to accomplish our mission of recognizing the best and brightest educators in APS. We remain committed to honoring those who work diligently with the best interests of students in mind.