Now entering its 7th year, The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, has announced the opening of nominations for its annual awards program, which recognizes and rewards extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through passion, creativity, and commitment.

 

Founded by Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman, since its launch in 2019, the program has recognized more than 190 teachers across all five boroughs and has awarded over $2 million in prizes, making it the largest award of its kind in New York City.

 

“This award celebrates the transformative difference that public school teachers make in their students’ lives,” said Glenn Fuhrman, co-founder of The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence. “Last year’s record number of nominations showed how deeply New Yorkers value their teachers. We’re excited to build on that momentum and recognize even more extraordinary educators this year.”

 

According to FLAG Award officials, six grand-prize winners, one from each of New York City’s five boroughs and one 3K through 5th Grade educator from any borough, will each receive a $25,000 cash prize, and their schools will each receive $10,000 for arts-based initiatives designed by the winners.

 

They said finalists will each receive $10,000, their schools will receive $5,000 to support arts programming, and they added that last year, the FLAG Award drew a record 1,600 submissions from students, parents, principals, and colleagues across New York City.

 

Officials said The Bronx has a proud history of FLAG Award winners. In the 2024-2025 award cycle, Alhassan Susso, a social studies teacher at International Community High School in Mott Haven, won the borough’s grand prize.

 

A visually impaired immigrant from Gambia, they said Susso has spent 13 years empowering newly arrived immigrant students through relationship-driven instruction and innovative programs like The Morning Class, a life-skills course that helped raise the school’s graduation rate from 31% to over 84%.

 

They said Susso was named the 2019 New York State Teacher of the Year and recognized as one of the top 50 educators in the world by the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize.

 

Officials said also in the 2024-2025 award cycle, Angelo Imperati, a math teacher at P.S. 75, won the 3K to 5th Grade prize for what they described as his transformative impacts on student achievement and school culture.

 

They said he raised passing rates in math class from 46% to 66%, achieving a 79% rate in his own classroom, by blending social-emotional learning with peer tutoring and virtual tutorials. Beyond academics, they said Imperati founded a district-wide basketball league that provides students with mentorship opportunities, and serves as a longtime United Federation of Teachers (UFT) delegate.

 

Risa Daniels, co-president of The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, said, “Every nomination is a chance to shine a light on a teacher who goes above and beyond.

 

Officials said the FLAG award winners are selected by a prestigious, independent jury of education and civic leaders, adding that the 2025-2026 awards cycle jury will, once again, include Dr. Betty A. Rosa, commissioner of education and president of the University of the State of New York, who they said has served on the jury since its inception. 

 

The other members of the jury are Emily Chandler, 2024-2025 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence winner; Shamilia McBean Tocruray, director of education at The Brooklyn Museum; Mark Dunetz, president of New Visions for Public Schools; and Pam Haas, New York executive director of Facing History & Ourselves.

 

Nominations are open now through Nov. 30 and teachers can be nominated by students, parents, school faculty, and other school community members at flagaward.org/nominate-your-teacher. Semi-finalists will be notified in February 2026; winners will be announced in June 2026.

 

Full-time teachers in NYC public schools, grades 3-K through 12, with a minimum of five years of teaching experience are eligible to be nominated and students, students’ family members, principals, or fellow teachers and colleagues can all nominate a teacher. Teachers are evaluated based on the FLAG Award’s CREATE framework as educators who:

• challenge and inspire students of all abilities, utilizing innovative teaching techniques and approaches to curricula and activities;
• reach out beyond the classroom, making a positive impact on the school and the community;
• embrace their roles as educators with tireless, devoted dedication;
• acknowledge the full spectrum of potential in each and every student;
• teach through example, as leaders and role models both inside the classroom and out; and
• engage in opportunities for self-improvement and continue to learn, grow, and develop as teachers.

 

For answers to frequently asked questions about the FLAG Award program and the nomination process, visit flagaward.org/faq.

 

Laura Twersky, also a co-president of the FLAG Foundation, said, We encourage every New Yorker to take a few minutes to nominate the educator who has made a difference in their life or their child’s life.”

 

The award is funded by The FLAG Foundation for Excellence in Education and by The Fuhrman Family Foundation. It is administered by Daniels and Twersky.