Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Thursday, March 24, 2011

Nominations for the 2012 Kentucky Teacher Awards, sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc., are due by May 15.  

Any full-time public school teacher in the state with at least three years of experience is eligible; additional qualifications are cited on the application. Teachers may be nominated by students or their parents, teaching peers, principals, superintendents or anyone from the community who has an interest in honoring an outstanding educator. 

• Nominate a teacher

All nominated teachers will then complete a formal application, which is due by June 30.

A panel of education professionals from around the state will judge the applicants this summer, and 24 Ashland Teacher Achievement Award winners will be announced in September.   

From this group, three will be recognized as the state's Elementary, Middle and High School Teacher of the Year. These finalists then compete for the overall Kentucky Teacher of the Year honor.

The winner receives $10,000, a cameo glass bowl and either a professional sabbatical or a classroom grant. The finalists get cash awards of $3,000 each and a cameo glass vase. The remaining 21 regional representatives each receive $500 and a framed certificate.

The Kentucky Teacher Awards program combines the best elements of the Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Awards and the Kentucky Teacher of the Year programs. This is the 11^th year for this innovative collaboration between private industry and public education. 

For more information, contact Donna Melton or call (502) 564-1479.