VFW Teacher Of The Year Competition

The members of Donald L. Wheeler Jr. Post 823 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and our Ladies Auxiliary invite Jackson area schools to nominate their best teachers as the VFW Teacher of the Year. Teachers selected to for nomination should have demonstrated their ability to innovate in the classroom, develop teaching resources, promote civic responsibility, and superior commitment to education.

Candidates may be nominated by fellow teachers, principals, superintendents, or other interested individuals other than relatives. Self-nominees are not eligible.

The first step in the competition is to prepare a 350 letter of nomination for a teacher in one of three categories; K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Download and complete the entry application. Submit both the nomination letter and the entry application to VFW Post 823 by November 1, 2009. One teacher will be selected in each category.

The winning teachers will be asked to provide a one page resume, up to five pages of documentation of their teaching experience (references, news articles, etc), and a head-and-shoulder photo. This information along with the nominating letter and the application will be forwarded to the next level of the competition at the VFW's 6th District of Michigan.

National Citizenship Education Teacher Awards include a $1,000 award to the winner in each category for development expenses, a $1,000 award to the school of each of the winning teachers, and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary National Conference.

Complete information about the program is located at the VFW's national website.

Jackson area education professionals may also be interested in the VFW's two scholarship essay competitions for students; Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen.