Nominate Bucks County’s Teacher of the Year!

Do you know a local teacher who deserves an A+? Well, this is your chance to reward your favorite Bucks County teacher for their dedication to education. Nominations are currently being accepted for the 3rd Annual Teacher of the Year Award, sponsored by Inspire Federal Credit Union.

Home to several of Pennsylvania's top public school districts as well as many noteworthy private schools, Bucks County is full of committed, talented teachers- teachers passionate about their lessons, teachers who stay late to help a struggling student understand a new lesson, teachers who volunteer to oversee after-school activities. The Bucks County Teacher of the Year program was created to recognize those educators who go above and beyond to help empower youth to achieve their goals and realize their dreams.

Inspire Federal Credit Union, which was founded in 1936 and just recently revealed their brand new, inspirational name, has long supported the school districts of Bucks County and this award is an extension of that commitment to the school communities. Nominations for the Teacher of the Year award are being accepted through January 2015.

Here's how it works:

1. Nominate your favorite teacher at BucksTeacherAward.com. The application includes information about the nominee, information about the school, and your contact information.

2. Submit a nomination narrative (700 words or less) telling the panel why you are nominating the person for this award. The narrative should include any and all reasons and supporting information about how the nominee shows a superior commitment to teaching, and why they should be named the Bucks County Teacher of the Year.

3. Lastly, send a letter of recommendation (no more than 1 page) written by someone other than the person who is submitting the nomination, such as a school Principal; department head; or even a fellow teacher. This letter should explain what the nominee does that qualifies him or her to be named the Bucks County Teacher of the Year.

After the nominations are in, locals will be able to vote for their favorite educators starting this winter. Then, the top 3 finalists will be revealed at the Credit Union’s annual meeting in March 2015!

What they'll win:

Named Bucks County Teacher of the Year, $1,000 Prize
Winning Teacher’s School, $1,000 prize donation
1st & 2nd Runner Up, $200 Visa Gift Card

Who can win:

To be eligible for nomination, teachers must be a current employee of a Bucks County school, be a PA certified teacher or a teacher who has obtained a private academic school certification in a Bucks County public school or non-public school, teaching grades K-12. All nominated teachers must have direct contact with students in a classroom setting. This would include individuals in the following position(s): classroom teachers, subject teachers, certified teaching professionals or classroom instructors. Classroom instructors could include reading specialists, speech therapists, subject specialists, learning support teachers or librarians. The teachers should show a superior commitment to teaching; have a great impact on students, the school and the community; and go above and beyond the normal duties of being a teacher. Find all of the details about the selection criteria and judging process on their website.

Meet 2014's Teacher of the Year: Jared Hottenstein of Jamison Elementary School

A father of six young children and a teacher to many more through his 13-year career at Jamison Elementary School. Hottenstein is a 5th grade teacher and manages the ecology club at Jamison Elementary, where he leads the students in many projects involving nature and green initiatives.

Thank you to all of the dedicated teachers of Bucks County!

–Sponsored–