Nominate a Teacher

Nominations for Teaching Chairs will be accepted until January 31, 2021. Anyone can nominate
a teacher – a peer, a student, a parent, a community member. Teachers may also nominate themselves.

In 2021, the following six Chairs are open for nominations. The first five chairs recognize a classroom teacher who has taught in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School (CHCCS) District for at least three years. The final chair recognizes a teacher new to the profession who shows promise and who has taught for less than three years.

Elementary School Chairs

Upper Elementary Chair for Excellence in Teaching Innovation
The second elementary teaching chair was established as an endowment to honor outstanding, innovative teachers of grades 3-5 districtwide. The award is presented on a two-year cycle.

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Middle School Chairs

Zora Rashkis Chair for Excellence in Teaching Middle School Language Arts or Social Studies
An endowment fund was created to honor Mrs. Rashkis, who was a much loved teacher at Phillips and Culbreth Middle Schools. The chair was initially awarded to outstanding middle school Language Arts teachers. Starting with the 2013-14 school year, the award was expanded to include middle school candidates teaching Social Studies. This is a two-year award.

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High School Chairs

Elmo’s Chair for Excellence in Teaching High School Math or Science
The chair began with an initial endowment from Kaiser Permanente and continued in 2006 with a supplemental gift from Elmo’s Diner and the Upper Elementary Chair Fund. It has a two-year term.

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District-wide Chairs

Neil Pedersen Teachers First Chair for Excellence in Classroom Technology 
This endowed fund was created by the Foundation to honor the former CHCCS Superintendent Neil Pedersen as a part of the Teachers First campaign. The chair is awarded to a Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Instructional Technology Facilitator (IFT) teacher who best exemplifies excellence in technology instruction and skill development in their students’ classroom experiences. Instructional Technology Facilitators or teachers of Business Education, Technology, Printing/Graphics, Family & Consumer Science, Drafting, Marketing, Computer Engineering, or Automotive classes are eligible for nomination. Beginning in 2020, this chair will be awarded on a three-year cycle to one eligible teacher.

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Mel and Zora Rashkis Chair for Excellence in Teaching Healthful Living or Physical Education
Established in 2017-18 this chair honors outstanding teachers in grades K-12 who instruct students in health and/or physical education. Provided by the Rashkis Trust, the chair is awarded on a three-year cycle and is named to honor the legacies of educators Mel and Zora Rashkis.

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For the Promising New Teacher Chair below, the nominee must be new to teaching and have taught in the CHCCS district for less than three years.

Sterling and Anita Hennis Chair for Promising New Secondary Teachers of English/Language Arts or Social Studies
This endowed fund was created by the family of Sterling and Anita Hennis. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, the Hennis Chair will be presented on a three-year cycle to a beginning teacher (less than three years teaching) who shows great promise in teaching English/Language Arts or Social Studies at either the middle or high school level.

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