Prize Details

Monetary Award

We believe that great teaching too often goes unrewarded. Each Fishman Prize winner receives an unrestricted cash award of $25,000 in recognition of their hard work, dedication and results in the classroom.

Summer Residency

In addition to receiving one of the country’s largest monetary awards for practicing teachers, Fishman Prize winners participate in a unique summer residency that brings them together to reflect on effective classroom practice and share their insights with other teachers nationwide.

The six-week summer residency begins in early July and ends in early or mid-August, so that Fishman Prize winners are away from their classrooms as little as possible, if at all. The winners spend the first few days of the residency in New York City, then return to their homes to collaborate virtually on a short paper that focuses their knowledge and experience on a topic related to effective instructional practice, such as how to inspire deep engagement from students. TNTP provides guidance and support throughout this process and publishes the paper on behalf of the winners in the fall.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Fishman Prize, an applicant must:

1. Be a current, full-time teacher;
2. Teach at a public school (including charter schools); and
3. Teach a high percentage (40% or more) of Free or Reduced Price Lunch-eligible students (i.e., in a Title I school)

In addition to meeting the above eligibility requirements, successful candidates must demonstrate:

• An extraordinary ability to lead students from all backgrounds to academic excellence;
• A keen understanding of effective instructional practice and an ability to articulate it clearly; and
• A passion for teaching and a deep commitment to advancing the teaching profession.

The application period closed on February 3, 2012. For future news and announcements about the award, follow TNTP on Facebook.