We all know that teacher. The one who sparked curiosity. The one who saw something in our child before our child saw it in themselves. The one who made the difference.

Nominations are now open for the Tucson Values Teachers E.L.E.V.A.T.E. Award, sponsored by Raytheon, and we'd love to see CFSD educators recognized. 

E.L.E.V.A.T.E. stands for Excellence, Leadership, Engagement, Vision, Achievement, Transformation, and Empowerment, and if that doesn't describe the teachers in our district, we don't know what does.

Twelve finalists will be honored at Tucson Values Teachers' annual Stand Up 4 Teachers celebration on November 5. Four winners will each receive a $2,500 personal award, and their schools will each receive an additional $2,500. The remaining eight finalists will each receive $500.

Anyone can nominate: parents, colleagues, administrators, community members. To be eligible, nominees should be full-time, certified classroom teachers in Pima County who spend the majority of their day in direct instruction, have at least four full years of teaching experience, and plan to continue teaching through the 2026-2027 school year. If you'd like to nominate more than one teacher, please fill out a separate nomination for each.

It only takes a few minutes to nominate someone who has given so much. Nominations close May 3.

Submit your nomination here.

Learn more at tucsonvaluesteachers.org.