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The CEC Special Educator Rising Star Award

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a professional association of educators dedicated to cultivating, supporting, and empowering education professionals who work with individuals with disabilities by:

  • Advocating for education professionals and for individuals with disabilities, and/or gifts and talents
  • Advancing professional practice and scholarly research
  • Promoting diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility
  • Building networks, partnerships, and communities
Information
Information
Deadline:
October 23, 2023
Award type:
Presented by:
CEC National

Award Details:

The CEC Special Educator Rising Star Award recognizes a CEC member birth – grade 12 teacher or specialized instructional support personnel who is in the first five years of their special education career who currently provides instruction to students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

These individuals must:

  • demonstrate CEC’s core values, which are:  
    • Visionary Thinking: Demonstrated by forward-thinking and courageous decision making dedicated to excellence and influence in an evolving environment.
    • Integrity: Demonstrated by ethical, responsive behavior, transparency, and accountability.
    • Inclusiveness: Demonstrated by a commitment to diversity, caring, and respect for the dignity and worth of all individuals.
  • demonstrate the ability to:
    • thoughtfully engage students, families and other stakeholders through effective communication and collaboration;
    • create an engaging, inclusive classroom environment and have a positive impact on students (inspiring learning, building relationships, teaching self-determined behaviors, etc.); 
    • have made notable contributions to the students, classrooms, department, and/or school they serve; 
    • and have shown exceptional potential for leadership in teaching, service, and/or scholarship.
  • Nominations must be made by an individual who is currently, or has, been employed in the field of education/special education, or CEC-affiliated organization (i.e., Unit, Local or Student Chapter, Division, or Subdivision) that has direct knowledge of the nominee’s work supporting students and teachers, as described above.
  • Self-nominations are not accepted.
  • All nomination materials must be submitted online by 12:00 pm Eastern, October 23, 2023.  
  • The nomination form is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WZCQXFH
  • Supporting materials can be uploaded into the online nomination form as PDF (strongly preferred), doc, docx files or video link. If you are unable to upload any documents, please email them to Sharon Rodriguez. Alternatively, responses can be typed into the online form.
  • Please use file name(s) to clearly indicate reference to the nominee and award. 
  • (e.g., “Smith_Rising_Star_Award.docx” or “Smith_Rising_Star_Nomination.docx”).
  • All materials become the property of CEC and will not be returned.
  • Posthumous nominations are NOT accepted. 

 

Required Materials

  • Nominators Statement on the nominee’s efforts in meeting the award criteria (750 words maximum; enter online or upload 
    • Letter word limit: 500 words
    • Video time limit: 3.5 minutes
  • One additional letter/video of support from a colleague, supervisor, or other professional (other than the nominator) documenting the nominee’s efforts in meeting the award criteria.
    • Letter word limit: 500 words
    • Video time limit: 3.5 minutes

 

Selection Considerations

The CEC Honors Committee has the authority to give up to five CEC Rising Star Awards or opt not to grant the award in any given year.

 

Recipient Recognition and Benefits

The award recipient(s) will be:  

  • provided with complimentary registration to attend the CEC 2024 Convention & Expo, March 13 – 16, 2024, in San Antonio, TX.
  • recognized, and receive a commemorative plaque, at an Awards Luncheon during the CEC 2024 Convention & Expo on Thursday, March 14th, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm;
  • given a $500 cash honorarium; and 
  • featured in a press release on the CEC website (https://exceptionalchildren.org

 

Questions? 

Please contact Sharon Rodriguez.

 

Nominate Online

 

2023 Angela Miller, M.Ed. View Press Release
2022 No awarded  
     

 

Last Updated:  21 August, 2023

Support the Awards

The Rising Star Awards are partially supported by CEC’s Rising Stars Fund, which supports initiatives that attract, prepare and retain students and early career professionals. Contributions to the endowment can be made here: https://exceptionalchildren.org/give/about-cec-endowments 

© 2023 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). All rights reserved.