Elevating Student and Family Voices
Honored Schools is a program from Honored aimed at recognizing great teachers, elevating student voices, and creating a consistent culture of teacher appreciation within school communities.
The Program
Through the Honored Schools online platform, students (and parents on behalf of younger students) within each participating school community are encouraged to recognize teachers by telling a story of how the teacher made a difference in their life. Every teacher who is recognized will receive their student’s story and will be publicly recognized at their school and on the Honored Schools website. Also, each recognition story serves as a nomination for the annual Honored Schools Transformative Teacher Award.
Our Schools
For the 2022-2023 school year, Honored Schools has partnered with seven schools in Washington, DC, 15 schools in Indianapolis, IN, 16 schools in Inglewood, CA, and four schools in New Haven, CT.
D.C. Public Schools
Barnard Elementary School
Brightwood Education Campus
Columbia Heights Educational Campus
Ida B. Wells Middle School
Powell Elementary School
Randle Heights Elementary School
Whittier Education Campus
Indianapolis Schools
Allisonville Elementary School
Clearwater Elementary School
Crooked Creek Elementary School
Eastwood Middle School
Fox Hill Elementary School
Greenbriar Elementary School
Hilltop Learning Center
J Everett Light Career Center
Nora Elementary School
North Central High School
Northview Middle School
Spring Mill Elementary School
True North Academy
Westlane Middle School
Willow Lake Elementary School
Inglewood Schools
Bennett- Kew Elementary School
Centinela Elementary School
City Honors International Preparatory High School
Crozier Middle School
Frank D Parent Elementary School
Highland Elementary School
Hudnall Elementary School
Inglewood Continuation High School
Inglewood High School
Kelso Elementary School
La Tijera Elementary School
Morningside High School
Oak Street Elementary School
Payne STEAM Academy
Woodworth-Monroe Academy
Worthington Elementary School
New Haven Schools
East Rock Community and Cultural Studies Magnet School
Family Academy of Multilingual Education
Hill Regional Career High School
High School in the Community
- In June 2023, Honored Schools will name Transformative Teacher Award recipients in each region from the pool of Honor Stories submitted from schools.
The Award
At the end of each school year, one teacher from the participating region will receive the prestigious Honored Schools Life-Changing Teacher Award, which includes $5,000 and national recognition. Award recipients will be selected from each region’s pool of submissions by Honored’s national panel of teachers and students, in consultation with Honored Schools principals. The selection criteria focuses on the important impact — personal, academic, and/or inspirational — the teacher has made on their students’ lives.

Mary
Dean
Manager of Operations and Technology
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Mary brings 7 years of combined EA, operations, and HR experience with high-growth, startup Founder/CEOs to the team. Having spent most of her career supporting organizations with overall operations and building processes from the ground up, Mary brings a unique pairing of business development and structural improvement to provide successful implementation for our programs. Her areas of expertise include project management, system migration, process development, data analysis, and strategic problem-solving. Mary has worked with industries across B2B and B2C in digital marketing, recruiting and staffing, nonprofit organizations, and more. She focuses on helping organizations solve their most difficult problems with effective solutions so that they can become more efficient while scaling. Known for having a keen eye for spotting gaps in processes, Mary has a tendency to take initiative and create workflows from scratch to help streamline those for both internal and external clients. Mary is passionate about understanding the “why” and approaches problems with proactiveness to prevent organizational fires from occurring in the future. This has allowed Mary to truly appreciate all functions needed in honoring and elevating transformative teachers. Mary is on a mission to see that others have a starting point without having to start from zero. Working with and mentoring colleagues around the globe throughout her career has provided some of her most fulfilling moments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Invisible
How does my school become an Honored School?
Honored Schools is currently accepting inquiries for participation in our program. If your school would like to learn more about participating in Honored Schools, please send us a note at hello@honoredschools.org.
Who may be recognized?
Classroom teachers of any subject, full-time or part-time, 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.
Who may recognize a teacher?
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!)
How do you decide who is awarded the Honored Schools Transformative Teacher Award?
Award recipients will be selected from each region’s pool of submissions by Honored Schools’ regional panels in consultation with Honored Schools principals. The selection criteria focuses on the important impact the teacher has made on the nominating student’s life. The panel will also consider the volume of submissions in proportion to school and class size and resource equity.
Will my teacher know about the recognition?
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!
If my teacher is selected as the Honored Schools Transformative Teacher Award recipient, what happens?
Your teacher will receive a well-deserved $5,000 cash award and will be celebrated at your school and across the country! Your teacher will also be featured on honoredschools.org.
Is your school or district interested in participating in Honored Schools? Reach out to mary@honored.org.
