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Niles North's Reed Named Golden Apple Recipient

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Golden Apple, a leader in advancing the teaching profession in Illinois for 25 years, announced the 10 recipients of the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The honorees, all high school teachers, were selected from a pool of 562 nominees. Niles North High School physics teacher Scott Reed, National Board Certified Teacher and 2007 Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction, was named a Golden Apple recipient today. He was surprised this afternoon when Sidney Green, former NBA player for the Chicago Bulls, entered his classroom and announced that he was a winner for the Golden Apple Award. Also on hand to congratulate Reed were Golden Apple Foundation President and CEO Dominic Belmonte and Golden Apple Chief Program Officer Gloria Harper. Amidst a sea of family, friends, administrators and students, a visibly moved Reed expressed his gratitude and appreciation, while several students fought back tears. While celebrating Reed’s accomplishment, one student said, “He’s the best teacher I ever had.”

 

From the first day of school and throughout the school year, Reed establishes a respectful, positive and supportive classroom environment. Wanting to truly understand his students and share their successes, Reed’s classroom engages in team building activities and highlights their victories through posting their pictures throughout his room.  Reed believes that each student has an important voice, and all voices need to be heard and respected to achieve the class’ high goals and expectations. While students are focused on mutual respect in a safe learning environment, Reed feels that this is when the fun of learning, exploring, discussing, predicting, sharing, demonstrating and empowering each other can begin.

 

Golden Apple has recognized outstanding Chicago-area educators annually since 1986. The creation of Golden Apple founders Mike and Pat Koldyke, the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching recognize and honor outstanding teachers for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated citizenry.

 

Each Golden Apple Award recipient receives a tuition-free, six month sabbatical to study at Northwestern University. Each winner also receives a $3,000 cash award. Perhaps most importantly, Golden Apple teachers become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, providing a stronger voice and a larger stage from which to make an impact, through ongoing professional development and engagement in education reform, such as the mentoring of future teachers through Golden Apple’s Scholars program.

 

“Every year we have an amazing group of recipients and this year’s teachers are no different,” said Dominic Belmonte. “We believe teachers should have the opportunity to develop their ideas and a forum to share their thoughts on improving education. We’re proud to have achieved 25 years of providing such important resources and recognition to our best teachers.”

 

The recipients of the 2010 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be honored at a black-tie event on Friday, October 15, at WTTW/Channel 11 Studios in Chicago. WTTW will also broadcast the awards in a one-hour television program following the event.

 

Golden Apple accepts nominations for the Awards each fall. Anyone may nominate an eligible teacher but teachers may not nominate themselves. Eligible teachers must be full-time classroom teachers at public or non-public schools in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, or Will counties and be committed to continue teaching in Illinois for at least two subsequent years. Awards focus on a rotating group of grade levels (Pre-K-3, 4-8, and 9-12). In 2010, high school teachers are the focus of the Awards.

 

Distinguished retired teachers, college/university professors, administrators, and former Golden Apple Award winners serve on Golden Apple’s selection committee. Committee members apply research-based professional standards to identify teachers who exemplify the highest standards and practices of the teaching profession. The selection process includes classroom observations of all Award finalists and interviews with colleagues, supervisors, students and parents.

 

Golden Apple Academy members have directly helped more than 5,000 Illinois teachers to become more effective in the classroom and indirectly helped tens of thousands of others. Additionally, half a million Illinois children have been positively impacted by the Golden Apple Scholars who have become teachers in Illinois since 1993 through advanced teacher preparation and mentoring by Academy members. The 250 currently active Academy members have more than 2,000 collective years of teaching experience.

 

2010 Golden Apple Teachers:

Scott Reed, Niles North High School; Dr. David Baar, Providence St. Mel School; Anthony Curtis, Phoenix Military Academy; Jacob Gourley, Thornton Fractional South High School; Susan Harsa, Saint Francis High School; Darshan Jain, Adlai E. Stevenson High School; Rosalind Kline-Thomas, Michele Clark Academic Prep High School; Jungsun Moon, King College Preparatory High School; Aaron Reedy, Thomas Kelly High School; and Patrice Turk, Chicago Academy High School.