The NCTE Award for Outstanding Educator in the English Language Arts, proposed by the Elementary Section Steering Committee in 1995, recognizes a distinguished national or international educator who has made major contributions to the field of language arts in elementary education.
The Elementary Section Steering Committee determines the winner based upon each candidate meeting the following criteria:
- dramatically influenced literacy classroom practice
- made ongoing contributions to the field of literacy
- obtained national and/or international influence in literacy teaching and learning
contributed a body of work that is compatible with the mission of NCTE
The award plaque is presented by the ESSC Chair at the Elementary Section Get-Together during the NCTE Annual Convention each year.
Past Winners
2007 — Rudine Sims Bishop
2006 — Shelley Harwayne
2005 — Sonia Nieto
2004 — Vivian Gussin Paley
2003 — Bernice Cullinan
2002 — Dorothy Watson
2001 — Brian Cambourne
2000 — Carole Edelsky
1999 — Louise Rosenblatt
1998 — Dorothy Strickland
1997 — Charlotte Huck
1996 — Ken and Yetta Goodman
1995 — Donald Graves