Awards

The AETA Teachers of Excellence Awards recognize teachers at each schooling level (elementary, middle, secondary, and postsecondary) for excellence in their classrooms.

Those considered for this award must be teachers in the state of Arizona, who are in good standing with their licensure and places of employment. Upon receipt of this award, winners are expected to become AETA members, if they are not already.

The Community Literacy Award recognizes any individual, group, or organization for advancing literacy in Arizona's communities through the creation of special programming or events outside of K-12 schooling.

Those considered for this award must have, in some way, advanced literacy in Arizona’s communities outside of K-12 schooling. Events, camps, programs, and organizations that charge students a fee to participate are not eligible for this award. In addition, this award does not recognize literacy research, literacy teaching, or volunteer hours worked for a literacy organization.

1. The awardee has shown courage in advancing the cause of intellectual freedom or fighting censorship; 

2. The awardee can be an educator or noneducator; 

3. The awardee can be an individual, group, or institution; 

4. The awardee’s activity can be related to particular recent events (e.g., a censorship dispute) or it can be ongoing (e.g., leadership demonstrated over a period of years); 

5. The same awardee may not be named for two years in succession. 

EXAMPLES: 

1. A newspaper that supported, in an editorial, a teacher, school, or Board of Education action in defense of a challenged book, film, or educational method; 

2. The teacher, school, or Board of Education involved in such a defense; 

3. A department chair, principal, or central office leader who has over a period of time developed and/or supported intellectual freedom policies and practices; 

4. A public official who took a stand in a difficult intellectual freedom case.