Sontag Prize in Urban Education
Boston Public Schools is looking for America’s Outstanding Urban Educators.
Boston Public Schools (BPS) has teamed up with the Lynch Foundation to offer the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, a new competitive award that recognizes outstanding teaching in Mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), and other disciplines and gives highly successful educators the chance to share best practices with their peers. The program is also generously supported by the Boston Teachers Union, Harvard Business School, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Any urban educator from within the city or across the country is eligible to apply for the Sontag Prize. In addition to a cash prize, awardees will travel to Boston for a week-long celebration, featuring Harvard-led learning sessions, networking opportunities and special events. Prize recipients will also lead classes as part of the BPS Acceleration Academy, a new program of targeted academic support for students in need.
Celebration 1: February 13 – 19, 2010
Celebration 2: April 18 – 23, 2010
Awardees will spend one week in Boston, where they will:
- Share best practices with colleagues
- Participate in learning opportunities with Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School faculty
- Lead BPS Acceleration Academy classes to demonstrate effective instruction with students.
Prize recipients will receive the following:
- $3,000 honorarium
- National award presented at a recognition ceremony
- Kick-off reception
- Tickets to a Boston theatre production
- Round trip airfare and lodging (if not a resident of the Greater Boston area)
How to apply
The application process for the April session has closed.
For more information
For questions about the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, please contact Jeffrey C. Riley, Academic Superintendent - Middle / K-8 Schools by email at jriley@bostonpublicschools.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who was Frederick Sontag?
Frederick Sontag was a Philosophy Professor at Pomona College in Claremont California who shepherded many wayward students on to graduation. For more on his life, please read this article in the Pomona College student newspaper.
How did the program develop?
Boston Public Schools created this program as a way to marry two distinct needs: recognizing urban educators and providing top level instruction to some of our most needy students.
Who is eligible to apply?
Any teacher who works with urban kids in Grades K-12 is eligible to apply.
How is the program structured?
A tentative schedule for the week is below.
Sunday & Monday: Orientation Celebration
- Welcome events, including student performances, keynote address, professional development and more.
Tuesday - Friday: Acceleration Academy Work
- Teachers work with one small group (10-14 students) for the week
- Typical day is 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
How do I get to my teaching site?
BPS teachers are expected to get their teaching sites on their own. BPS will arrange shuttle transportation to and from host schools for teachers from outside the area who are staying in hotels.
How long do I teach each day?
Teachers teach about 6 hours during the day and are given a free period as well as time off for lunch. The day resembles a typical Boston Public School day with the exception that teachers work with the one small group of students exclusively.
What does my teaching space look like?
You will teach in the same Boston Public School classroom for the entire week, and we will make sure that it meets your specifications for technology and supplies.
Is there a fixed curriculum?
No, since this award recognizes outstanding teachers we trust you to decide how best to teach. With that said, we will provide specific data on your students that can help guide you and will purchase supplies and materials for you for the week based on your input.
Are there videotaping opportunities?
Yes, we would like to capture one or more of your best lessons on video in order to build an archive of exceptional lessons. However, you do not have to be videotaped if you do not wish.
