Sontag Prize in Urban Education

Boston Public Schools is looking for America’s Outstanding Urban Educators.

Update: The Sontag selection committee is currently reviewing all applicants for the February session. Decisions will be emailed the week of January 23, 2012.

Boston Public Schools (BPS) has teamed up with the Lynch Foundation to offer the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, a 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 program designed to provide targeted academic support for students in need.

Celebration 1: Saturday, February 18 - Friday, February 24, 2012.

Celebration 2: Saturday, April 14 - Friday, April 20, 2012

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

Please note: there are separate application processes for the February and April sessions. We are now accepting applications for the February ELA session. To apply, please complete this online application form. The deadline to apply for the February session is January 9, 2012.

February Celebration - ELA Focus

• February Sontag Awards will be granted to: English Language Arts Teachers, Elementary Teachers, ESL Teachers, Special Education Teachers, and Specialty Teachers (music, art, theater, dance, technology, science and physical education).

April Celebration - Math Focus

• April Sontag awards will be granted to: Math Teachers, Elementary Teachers, ESL Teachers, Special Education Teachers, and Specialty Teachers (music, art theatre, dance, technology, science and physical education). 
• The application process for the April session will open in March.

For more information

For questions about the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, please contact:

Jeffrey C. Riley, Chief Innovation Officer
Email: jriley@bostonpublicschools.org
Phone: 617-635-9012

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 click here.

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. Specifically, we are looking for the following teachers to apply for the February and April Sontag Prize, respectively.

• February Sontag awards will be granted to: ELA, Elementary, ESL, Special Education and Specialty Teachers (music, art, theatre, dance, technology, physical education and science).  The February application process is open now.
   
• April Sontag awards will be granted to: Math, Elementary, ESL, Special Education and Specialty Teachers (music, art, theatre, dance, technology, physical education and science). The April application process opens in March.

How is the program structured?

A tentative schedule for the week is below. Schedule is subject to change.

Saturday & Sunday: Professional Development & Orientation Celebration (Returning Sontag winners are excused from professional development component.)

• Welcome events, including student performances, keynote address, professional development and more.

Monday - 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.