Golden Apple Surprises Homewood-Flossmoor High School Teacher with Prestigious Award for Excellence in Teaching
10 Illinois teachers to receive annual award
CHICAGO (March 19, 2019) - Golden Apple, a leading Illinois nonprofit committed to recognizing exemplary educators and developing future educators, today surprised Catherine Ross-Cook, a high school teacher at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, with the highly respected Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. The annual award, which recognizes and honors outstanding teachers for their role in building a stronger, better-educated society, was presented to Ross-Cook in front of students, family and school leadership.
Following a highly competitive process, the 2019 award recipients were selected from more than 550 nominations of high school teachers. For the first time in the history of the awards, the eligibility boundaries were expanded to include all of Illinois. The demand for recognition throughout the state was profound. As evidence, nominations for outstanding teachers and leaders were received from 71 Illinois counties.
“The historic opportunity to bring the recognition of the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching to all of the schools and teachers in Illinois is thrilling and we are delighted to honor Catherine Ross-Cook this year,” said Alan Mather, President of Golden Apple.
The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching honors outstanding teachers for their roles in having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and building stronger communities. Teacher finalists demonstrate -- in their teaching and results -- significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning. Fellow educators, students, parents and community members nominate teachers for the awards. Teachers may not self-nominate.
“We believe that recognizing exemplary educators helps to elevate the teaching profession to its rightful place of honor,” said Alicia Winckler, CEO of Golden Apple. “Golden Apple is inspired by the high standards set by these outstanding educators. The quality of their teaching and passion for supporting their students’ growth create an environment in which students are inspired to persevere and attain their dreams. Their work as educators is critical to realizing a better future and we are proud to recognize their valuable contributions.”
Award recipients are selected by master educators who understand and recognize instructional best practices and who utilize professional standards to evaluate exemplary teachers and school leaders. Members of the selection committee viewed video evidence of instruction and observed finalists’ teaching in-person in their classrooms - a comprehensive day which included direct observation of in-classroom teaching accompanied by interviewing finalists’ colleagues, school leaders, students, parents, and community members.
About Catherine Ross-Cook
Her colleagues say Ross-Cook has a genuine passion for the teaching profession. She is committed to preparing her students with outstanding educational opportunities, while creating a solid foundation for personal growth and academic success. Her colleagues say she goes out of her way to cultivate a warm and supportive environment in her classroom while maintaining high standards. She makes her students feel known and loved. Her students describe her as inspiring, selfless and authentic. She is also the head coach of the two-time nationally ranked Steppers dance team. Ross-Cook came up through the ranks at her school. She began working in Homewood-Flossmoor in academic support services and discovered that she wanted to teach. So, she took a job as a security guard to pay for her education degree, was a student teacher at the school, and has served as a full-time teacher there for nine years.
Videos, photos and social media snapshots of the 2019 award surprise visits, can be found at https://www.goldenapple.org/awards.
The 2019 award recipients will be featured on a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) one-hour TV program. The livestream of the show taping will air on Golden Apple’s Facebook page on May 18, 2019 and the edited PBS broadcast will air on multiple future dates.
As a highly-valued component of this recognition, Northwestern University, Golden Apple’s partner for more than 30 years, generously provides a Spring Sabbatical to award recipients at no cost.
“In honoring and developing K-12 teachers, Northwestern University and the Golden Apple Foundation are committed to improving teaching, learning, and the lives of kids across the state of Illinois,” said Timothy Dohrer, Ph.D., Director of the Master of Science in Education Program at Northwestern University’s School of Education & Social Policy.
In addition, each Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who support current and future teachers and deepen the learning of students. An important part of a Fellows’ mission is to share their expertise and mentor Golden Apple Scholars, who are aspiring teachers with a desire to teach in Illinois’ schools-of-need.
The nomination period for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching opens March 18, 2019. All are invited to nominate an exceptional 4th-8th grade Illinois teacher. More information about the awards nomination process can be found at https://www.goldenapple.org/awards.
About Golden Apple
Founded in 1985, Golden Apple innovates teacher preparation and leadership to transform both the careers of teachers as well as the lives of students in Illinois. Its signature initiative, the Golden Apple Scholars Program, provides exceptional teacher preparation, resources and lifelong support to advance educational excellence for Illinois’ most underserved students in schools-of-need. Aspiring teachers/Scholars are recruited from the communities in which they return to serve -- with a passion for teaching and a drive to create positive change for young people in their communities. Scholars commit to teach at an Illinois school-of-need for five years after graduation. More than 1,000 Scholars currently are teaching across Illinois.
Visit http://www.goldenapple.org for more information.
Media contact:
Eileen Rochford
312-953-3305
eileenr@theharbingergroup.com