NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts Award

Established in 1995, this award recognizes a distinguished national or international educator who has made major contributions to the field of language arts in elementary education. The award honors elementary educators who have dramatically influenced literacy classroom practice, made ongoing contributions to the field of literacy, obtained national and/or international influence in literacy teaching and learning, and contributed a body of work that is compatible with the mission of NCTE. Recipients should be elementary educators (e.g., preK–12 classroom teachers, higher education faculty) in elementary education with a history of influencing preK-6 classroom literacy practice. They embody antiracist, culturally sustaining, asset-based teaching and research approaches that are moving our work forward in creating inclusive, humanizing classrooms that center multiple identities, languages, and literacies. The award is presented at the Elementary Section Get-Together during the NCTE Annual Convention on Thursday evening of the convention, where the recipient receives a plaque commemorating the award.