Elevating Student and Family Voices

Honored Schools is not currently accepting inquiries for participation in our 2026-2027 program. If your school would like to learn more about participating in Honored Schools, please send us a note at [email protected].

Full-time classroom teachers of any subject currently teaching at your school may be recognized and are eligible for the Honored Schools Transformative Teacher Award. Other school staff members may also be recognized, but they are not eligible for the award.

Current or former students, and parents or other family members on behalf of students (particularly the younger ones who may need a hand completing the form!)

Criteria for award eligibility is as follows:

1. The teacher must receive 5 or more story submissions from students/families.
2. The selection criteria focuses on the important impact the teacher has made on the nominating student’s life.

Yes! Your teacher will receive an email with your Honor Story and will know what an impact they’ve had on you. Your school will celebrate all recognized teachers in a variety of ways. Your nominations will also be published on The Honor Roll on honoredschools.org so that other people can read about all of the inspiring teachers at your school. Who knows, your teacher may become internet famous!

Your teacher will receive a $2,000 Lakeshore Learning gift and a $500 Visa Gift Card cash award and will be celebrated at your school and on social media.

At Honored, we prioritize maintaining a positive and respectful environment on our platform. Our team carefully reviews each Honor Story before it reaches teachers.

In a rare occurrence, should we identify any content that goes against our guidelines, we will promptly remove the submission and send the School Lead an email to request that the student resubmit a positive teacher Honor Story.

Additionally, in cases where the content involves threatening behavior or violence, we take a more serious stance by immediately notifying school leadership and District Leads. This collaborative approach ensures swift action and a judicious response to maintain the integrity of our platform.

Our commitment remains steadfast: teachers receive only positive and uplifting Honor Stories, contributing to a nurturing and supportive online community.

Every story is read by a panel of reviewers who score it in four areas. Our scoring is based on the 7Cs Framework of Effective Teaching, a research-backed model of what great teaching looks like.

1. Students are excited to learn. Does the teacher make class interesting and get students involved?

2. Students and families feel cared for. Does the teacher build relationships, listen to students' ideas, and create a safe, welcoming classroom?

3. Students grow academically. Does the teacher explain things clearly, push students to do their best, and help them keep going when learning gets hard?

4. The teacher goes above and beyond. Does the teacher advocate for students, lead programs or initiatives, or give time outside the school day?

Each area is scored from 0 to 3, for a total of 12 points. A story doesn't need to cover all four areas to be selected, and reviewers recognize that teachers make an impact in many ways.

Tip for writing a strong story: Specific examples score highest. Instead of "she's an amazing teacher," tell us what she did and how it changed things for you, like the project that made you love science, or the time she stayed after school to help you catch up.