The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation supports twelve multi-year teaching chair awards across multiple teaching disciplines in the school district. This year, five of these chair awards are currently open for nominations. To be eligible for nomination, candidates must have completed 3 full school years (August – June) in the CHCCS district with a hiring date of August 2016 or earlier for nominations this year. The exception to this requirement is The Burton Stuart Chair for Promising New Teachers (see below). The nomination window is open through January 31, 2020.
To nominate a teacher, click on a highlighted chair name below. Eligible teacher names for each chair will be found in a drop-down menu. Click here to learn more about the PSF Chair Award Process.
Elementary School
Sockwell Chair for Excellence in Teaching Primary Grades (PreK-2)
The Sockwell chair was the first elementary level teaching chair established by the Foundation. It honors former school board chair Phyllis Sockwell and her aunt who were teachers. The chair, set up as an endowment fund, is awarded to teachers of grades preK-2 in a two-year cycle.
Middle School
GlaxoSmithKline Chair for Excellence in Teaching Middle School Science or Math
The Glaxo Chair was the first middle school teaching chair established by the Foundation. Starting in 2013-14 school year it will be awarded in a two-year cycle, honoring outstanding middle school science or math teachers. It was first awarded in 1988-89.
High School
Bernadine Sullivan Chair for Excellence in Teaching High School English or Social Studies
The endowment was created by the family of English teacher Bernadine Sullivan at Chapel Hill High School, and was expanded in the 2013-14 school year from an English teaching award to include Social Studies. The award is presented in a two-year cycle.
District-wide
PSF/PTA Chair for Excellence in Teaching Cultural Arts
This chair, first awarded in the 2013-14 school year, honors outstanding teachers in the district who teach music, voice, visual and dramatic arts at any grade level. The chair is awarded on a three-year cycle and is sponsored by a combination of endowed contributions from the Public School Foundation and PTAs district-wide.
Burton Stuart Chair for Promising New Teachers in Secondary Math or Science
The endowed fund honors Bud Stuart, a long-time math teacher at Chapel Hill High School and the first recipient of the first teaching chair awarded in the district. The award was established by Bud Stuart’s son. Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the Stuart Chair is presented in a three-year cycle to a beginning teacher (less than three years teaching in CHCCS) who shows great promise in teaching math or science in either middle or high school.