Finalists Selected for 2012 Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize for Schools Where Teaching Matters

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Jun 14, 2012, 10:32 ET

NEW YORK, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The public began voting today June 13 on a principal from the New York metropolitan area who could win the 2012 Elizabeth Rohatyn Prize for Schools Where Teaching Matters. The voting will narrow down the list of ten semifinalists who were selected last week based on innovations at their schools that contribute to teacher capacity-building and effectiveness.

"Leading principals understand that effective teaching is the lynchpin to closing the achievement gap," said Lynette Guastaferro, executive director of Teaching Matters. "They are rethinking time, creating effective teaming strategies, and positioning effective teachers to lead the charge. These leaders deserve recognition and they need more flexibility."

The public can choose one of the principals on the Teaching Matters website or Facebook page through June 21. The winner will be announced on July 18 and will receive a one-time award of $15,000 that may be used to support expansion and replication of the school's innovative program.

The projects launched by the semifinalists include: creating a career ladder where teachers advance from novice to master level; reorganizing the school day so teachers have time to collaborate; and helping teachers film their classroom instruction so that they can improve their teaching strategies.

The semifinalists in the competition, chosen last week by the four-member Prize Committee, include:

Cary Chan - School for Global Leaders, New York, N.Y.
Donalda Chumney - Jonas Bronck Academy, Bronx, N.Y.
Scott Conti - New Design High School, New York, N.Y.
Mona Dana - Technology High School, Newark, N.J.
Evelyn Finn - Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bernadette Fitzgerald -The School of Discovery and Exploration/PS 503, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Cynthia Fowlkes - Academy of Innovative Technology High School, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Rose Kerr - The Staten Island School of Civic Leadership, Staten Island, N.Y.
Christopher Lehmann - The Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia, Pa.
Shimon Waronker - The New American Academy at Lincoln Terrace Park, Brooklyn, N.Y.

"Participating in the discussion of innovation in New York schools reminded me once again how so many are committed to positive change," said Fred Frelow, Program Officer for the Ford Foundation, who was one of the judges in the competition.

The Rohatyn Prize is underwritten by The Elizabeth Rohatyn Innovation Fund. Driven by the belief that teachers are the most important school-related factor in raising student achievement, Mrs. Rohatyn, a champion of innovation and education, joined forces with former teachers, principals, and technology experts to found Teaching Matters in 1994.

For more information, contact Lynette Guastaferro, executive director of Teaching Matters, at (212)870-3505 or at [email protected].

SOURCE Teaching Matters