Awards

Teachers' Work/Teachers Unions Outstanding Student Paper Award

Award Description

This award recognizes outstanding scholarly writing by a graduate student related to teachers’ work or teachers’ unions. Graduate students at the master's and doctoral level are welcome to submit an exemplary paper (i.e., published scholarly paper and/or final or full AERA papers presented at AERA) that explores teacher's work and/or teachers unions. We seek to recognize a student whose scholarship provides a significant contribution to the field of teacher’s work and teachers unions. We invite nominees to submit a paper accepted for submission at the Annual Meeting for this award.

Rationale for Establishing the Award

This award seeks to recognize recent exemplary scholarship by a graduate student who demonstrates recent exceptional scholarly writing. The work of teachers and unions continues to be a vital area for educational research, thus we seek to recognize graduate student scholarship in this field that makes a significant contribution. Teacher's work is broadly understood as comprising of the day-to-day work of teachers, the contexts of teaching, various characterizations of teaching, and teacher's working conditions. Unions include the national, state, and local organizations vested with the authority to negotiate on behalf of teachers through collective bargaining. As scholars working in the field of teacher education and research, we recognize the need for an award that highlights scholarly work in this area as it is often invisible within the larger focus on pedagogy and curriculum. Given the SIG's focus on teacher's work and teachers unions, this award speaks to our mission and supports our effort to recognize student work.

Eligibility Requirements

Nominees must be currently enrolled in graduate school when the submission was written/presented.
Membership in the SIG is not required.
Nominations are encouraged from domestic and international graduate scholars.

Submission Requirements

Applicants must submit their paper along with their resume or CV.
Submissions consist of a peer-reviewed, published article or book chapter or final version of an AERA paper presented at AERA in the past two years that is 3000-7000 words.
Nomination materials should be emailed to the awards committee chair.

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Contribution to the field of teachers' work and/or unions
Theoretical framework
Methodological approach
Overall written quality

Nomination-to-award Timeline

Deadline for Submissions: December 1
Winner Notification/Confirmation: February 15th
Decision announced to members via Teachers’ work / Teachers Unions’ email listserv, posted to the SIG Facebook page, and through AERA award notification SIG Annual Business Meeting within 48 hours of winner confirmation.

Karen Lewis Teacher’s Work Teachers Union Outstanding Paper Award

Award Description

We seek to recognize outstanding scholarly writing by an educator related to teachers’ work or teachers’ unions. This award is offered in memory of Chicago Teacher Union Leader, Karen Lewis whose revolutionary leadership helped redefine social justice and community unionism, through her tireless struggles for the schools Chicago’s children deserve. Education scholars and unionists producing exemplary scholarly work about teacher's work and/or teachers union are encouraged to submit their work.

Rationale for Establishing the Award

This award seeks to recognize recent exemplary scholarship by an education scholar, in honor of the legacy and memory of Karen Lewis. A leader in the Chicago Teachers Union, Karen Lewis insisted on fighting for "the schools our children deserve". In honor of the woman who, alongside her broader union and the educational justice movement, helped redefine social justice union leadership, this award recognizes an education scholar who demonstrates recent exceptional scholarly writing. The work of teachers and unions continues to be a vital area for educational research, thus we seek to recognize scholarship in this field that makes a significant contribution. Given the recent passing of Karen Lewis, this award is needed to further her work and legacy by recognizing the scholarship of educators who extend her vision of fighting for schools all children deserve.

Eligibility Requirements

Submissions will consist of a peer-reviewed scholarly article or book chapter published within the past three calendar years that makes a significant contribution to scholarship on teachers' work or teachers unions. Membership in the SIG is not required in order to be nominated for this award. Students are not eligible for this award. Student nominations are encouraged for the Teacher's Work Teachers Union Outstanding Student Paper Award.

Submission Requirements

Submissions will be 6,000-12,000 words in length.
Nominees should have a minimum of three years experience working in an education or teacher related field including P-12, higher education, and local, state, or national union organization.
Nominees should have either a master's degree or doctoral degree.
Nominations are encouraged from both domestic and international scholars and unionists.

Selection Criteria

The evaluation rubric will address the following criteria:

Contribution to the field of teacher's work and/or unions
Theoretical/Conceptual framework
Methodological approach
Overall written quality

Nomination-to-award Timeline

Deadline for Submissions: December 1
Winner Notification/Confirmation: February 15th
Decision announced to members via Teachers’ work / Teachers Unions’ email listserv, posted to the SIG Facebook page, and through AERA award notification SIG Annual Business Meeting within 48 hours of winner confirmation.