This year, for the third time, the community will be able to recognize 13 amazing teachers within Wasatch County School District who help students achieve every day! In Spring of 2021, a few generous, anonymous community members created the Distinguished Educator Award to honor the incredible work and sacrifice teachers provide to the students in the Valley, with awards presented privately in May of that year. This year, we’ll award 13 outstanding teachers $11,500 each, including one teacher from each elementary school, two from each middle school and four from Wasatch High School (teachers at Wasatch Alternative High School and at the online Wasatch Learning Academy will be considered with the Wasatch High School nominees). These are not classroom grants, rather, they are for the personal use of each recipient as a way to recognize the work they do for our students every day in the classroom.

Teaching is a wonderful profession that is often difficult, with teachers often going unrecognized. The teachers that will be awarded are making a difference every day for our children. They have wonderful teaching skills and subject matter knowledge, but also offer genuine love, concern, and time for their students.

To help select this year’s Distinguished Educator Award recipients, community members, students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators will have the chance to nominate teachers deserving of these awards. The nominations will be carefully reviewed by select donors and the Wasatch Education Foundation Board to help make the final decisions on recipients. The intent of this program is to thank, award, and inspire greatness among our teachers in the Wasatch County School District, and the hope is it will be supported and cheered on by community members, fellow teachers, and staff members for many years to come. 

Attached to this letter is a Wasatch Education Foundation Distinguished Educator Award nomination form and criteria for qualification. Online nomination forms are available here: https://forms.office.com/r/ue5ZKczcYz

Between now and April 1, 2023, please nominate teachers that deserve recognition this year. Please do not nominate yourself, or teachers that you are personally related to. Each teacher will be vetted and nominations taken seriously. Only one nomination is needed per person, per teacher. Extras will be discarded and winners will not be decided by number of entries. 

Winners will be awarded in their classroom during National Teacher Appreciation week, May 8-12, 2023, and will be announced online at Wasatch.edu, WasatchEd.org, on social media and in the Wasatch Wave. 

Thank you for your consideration. We are excited to learn more about the many ways our amazing teachers have positively impacted our students, their families, their fellow staff members and the community. If you are interested in helping this award grow to recognize even more of our outstanding teachers, please contact Kirsta Albert at k.albert@wasatch.edu, or visit https://bit.ly/DistinguishedEducatorWasatch to donate.