Nominations and Letters of Supprt due: Monday, February 23, 2026

Reviewed by committee: March 2-20

Public Announcement: March 30-April 10 (nominators will be asked to join in these– don’t worry if you are not free this week, if your nominee is selected as the winner, we will find a time that works for all).

Winners recognized at The Partnership Party: May 7th, 2026, Rustic Roots Winery

In 2008, we established the teacher and staff recognition awards, known as the Partnership Awards, to honor outstanding members of Stillwater Area Public School staff for their dedication, professionalism, and work on behalf of our students. These staff members are honored as representatives of the many exemplary teachers and support staff who are making a difference in the lives of the students of Stillwater Area Public Schools. Any teacher or support staff in District 834 is eligible for this award. Nominations come from you- community members, students, parents, friends, and colleagues.

With 1,000 employees across our district, being recognized with a Partnership Award is a great honor. In addition to the honor, each Partnership Award recipient will be able to designate a $1,000 grant from The Partnership Plan to the building of his or her choice and will be recognized at The Partnership Party in the spring.

In order for a teacher or staff member to be considered for this award, at least one person must complete an online nomination (when the nomination cycle is open, this will be linked above). In addition, at least 2 Letters of Support must be submitted. We then have a review committee that will score nominations on the following areas:

• Innovation- How does the nominee use innovation (new ideas/tools/resources/approaches) to stimulate the students and/or enhance their learning or teach outside the box?

• Resources: How does the nominee identify and utilize new and/or exceptional resources to fund, facilitate and provide materials for the students? (As an example – bringing speakers, finding in-kind and monetary donations, utilizing local opportunities like museums, field trips and local events.)

• Passion: How does the nominee exemplify passion in their work? Does she/he seek ways to upgrade their skills? Find new ways to encourage/engage students? Take personal interest in the student's individual success? How does your nominee make a difference in the lives of students?

• Anything Else We Should Know? How is your nominee going above and beyond? Why do you think this person is exceptional among his/her peers?

• Scores will also take into account the amount of time in the district/field as well as the total number of nominations and letters of support.

** Strong nominations and Letters of Support will address all the areas listed above when explaining why you think your nominee is deserving of the award.

When the nomination cycle is open, a nomination form will be linked above. This form needs to be completed ONCE per each person you want to nominate.

Once you have submitted the formal nomination, connect with at least 2 other individuals and have them each write a Letter of Support for your nominee.

The best Letters of Support come from a variety of people who have interacted with the nominee (community members, students, parents, friends, colleagues, etc), address the areas we will score on (see above) and are limited to 1-2 pages. Videos, photos and other attachments to exemplify your nominees attributes are accepted in addition to the nomination and two letters of support.

Ensure that a minimum of 2 Letters of Support have been submitted via email to martins@partnershipplan.org by the due date.

PLEASE NOTE:

Principals are considered to be administrators and are not eligible for these teacher and staff awards.

We are unlikely to honor an individual twice. Please review the list of previous award recipients below prior to making your nomination: PREVIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS

You can view a list here.