Hi NWP friends, I'm passing this on from my Bread Loaf friend Sam Swope, author of I Am a Pencil. Why not? best Tish xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx A doctor, lawyer or business person can earn more than $100,000 in one year. Why not a teacher? I would like to inform you and the Teachers and Writers Collaborative of an unparalleled opportunity for teachers: the launch of the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award. A $100,000 cash prize, the largest unrestricted K-12 teacher award in U.S. history, will be awarded to an extraordinary teacher in an underserved community. The award seeks to recognize innovative and results-oriented teaching and to raise public awareness of the importance of effective and committed teachers. Nancy and Rich Kinder of Houston, TX established this award so an outstanding educator serving low-income children could be rewarded financially for his or her work. The award was created to honor Rich Kinder's mother, Edna C. Kinder, a former teacher in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, MO. Teachers must be nominated to be selected for the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award. Nominees must be currently employed in a K-12 school, public or private, in the U.S. where at least 50 percent of students qualify for the free- and reduced-price meal program. Nominations should be submitted online by December 31, 2005 at www.kinderaward.org <http://www.kinderaward.org/> . In the spring of 2006, a Blue Ribbon Panel of distinguished educational leaders, will review the finalists and select the winner, who will be announced next summer. The Kinders have partnered with KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) to administer the award's nomination and selection process. In 2002, the Kinders established an award to honor excellent KIPP teachers. This year, the Kinders decided to expand beyond the KIPP network of schools and created a new and larger national award for non-KIPP teachers in K-12 education serving underserved communities. No educator employed in a KIPP school during the 2005-2006 school year is eligible in 2006 for the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award. We hope that thousands of excellent teachers will be nominated for their ability to inspire learning and achievement in the classroom. Please join us in spreading the news about this remarkable opportunity with your constituents. If you could please forward me a copy of your announcement for our records, I would greatly appreciate it. Our nation's committed teachers deserve to be recognized for their devotion, and you can help us in this effort to celebrate them. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me at (415) 503-8654 or [log in to unmask] Sincerely, Catherine North Director, Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award www.kinderaward.org <http://www.kinderaward.org/> www.kipp.org <http://www.kipp.org/>