Know a teacher in the Bronx that should be celebrated? The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence is accepting nominations for its 2026–2027 awards, giving New York City students, parents, families and school communities a chance to recognize outstanding public school teachers.
The FLAG Award will select six grand-prize winners — one representing each of New York City’s five boroughs, plus one additional winner who teaches grades 3-K through 5th grade anywhere in the city.
Each grand-prize teacher receives $25,000, while their school receives another $10,000 to support an arts-based initiative designed by the winning teacher. Finalists will also receive $10,000, and their schools will receive $5,000 for arts programming.
Last year’s Bronx winner
Deborah Reich, a biology and environmental science teacher at World View High School, received the Bronx’s $25,000 grand prize during the 2025–2026 awards cycle. Reich connects science lessons to issues including climate change, pollution and environmental justice in students’ own communities.
With the accompanying school funding, she planned to expand the school’s Art & Ecology program, giving students ways to communicate scientific and environmental ideas through visual storytelling and public exhibitions.
Who can nominate a teacher?
You don’t have to be a teacher or school administrator to nominate someone. Nominations can come from:
- Students
- Parents and other family members
- Principals
- Teachers and other school colleagues
The teacher must be a full-time NYC public school teacher in grades 3-K through 12 and have at least five years of teaching experience.
What makes a FLAG Award teacher?
The awards use something called the CREATE framework to evaluate nominees.
The program looks for teachers who:
- Challenge and inspire students of all abilities through innovative teaching
- Reach beyond the classroom and positively impact their school and community
- Embrace their role as educators with dedication
- Acknowledge the potential in every student
- Teach by example as leaders and role models
- Engage in opportunities to continue learning and growing themselves
In other words, they’re looking beyond test scores or a teacher simply being good at explaining a subject. The award is also interested in teachers who make a broader impact on their students and school communities.
The 2026–2027 independent jury includes Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York, who has served on the FLAG Award jury since its beginning and grew up in the Bronx. The rest of this year’s jury includes education and civic leaders as well as a previous FLAG Award winner.
Nominations are open now, with a deadline of November 29, 2026. Semi-finalists will be notified in February 2027, and the winners will be announced in June 2027.
If a teacher immediately comes to mind while reading this, this could be a great opportunity to tell them — and the people deciding these awards — what makes them special.