Sontag Prize in Urban Education

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

UPDATE: The April application process is now closed. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than the week of April 2, 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.

New Sontag Prize recipients will receive the following:

• $3,000 honorarium
• National award presented at a recognition ceremony
• Kick-off reception
• Round trip airfare and lodging (if not a resident of Massachusetts or nearby state)

How to apply

Please note: there are separate application processes for the February and April sessions.

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).
• The application process for the February session is now closed.

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 is now closed. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than the week of April 2, 2012.

For more information

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

Carrie Maille Hickey
Email: chickey@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 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). 
   
• 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 is now closed. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than the week of April 2, 2012.

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 6-7 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.

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.