Recognizing Teachers

Interview with Award Winning Teacher Bill Cecil... by Dr Hans A Andrews

"It still means the world to me that two students and their parents took the time to nominate me. I had never even heard of Michigan Teacher of the Year before my nomination. It truly has changed my life!!
-- Bill Cecil, a former Michigan, US, Teacher of the Year

Bill Cecil is a intermediate school teacher in the Waverly Community School District, Lansing, Michigan, USA

Oustanding teacher Bill Cecil together with his son Joe while being interviewed by a
local tv station

It is important for teachers to gain recognition when they are doing outstanding work on behalf of their students. Yet, statistics from a survey of 20,000 K-12 teachers show that fifty percent of the K-12 schools in the USA do not yet have a system or program of recognition in their school districts.

In both Australia and the USA there is a push to reward the top teachers through a merit pay program. Merit pay creates a negative stir among teachers and teacher organisations and has not proven to produce the results that the designers of these merit pay systems orginally have had in mind.

In almost every documented study in the USA merit pay systems have been dismantled after one to three years of experimentation. In some, no statistical difference in outcomes appeared between those receiving merit pay and those not receiving it.

The school districts that have provided other means of ‘recognition’ have found a high degree of acceptance from both individual winners and faculty groups. The following interview with Bill Cecil, the Teacher of the Year winner in 2003 in the state of Michigan, US, speaks to the importance of such a program in his career and life.

Q: Prior to your nomination for Teacher of the Year for Michigan, had you ever received any special recognition from your school or any previous ones you may have worked?

Cecil: No.

Q: Did you view the nomination as recognition for the good work you were doing in the classroom?

Cecil: Very much so. I thought it must have something to do with the work I was doing in my classroom but felt many other teachers I know (including my wife and many of my colleagues) should have been nominated for what they were doing in their classrooms as well.

Q: How was the response from other teacher colleagues in your school?

Cecil: I kept it a secret as long as I could because I thought it was quite a long shot that I would be named Michigan Teacher of the Year (MTOY). However, once it was announced in the media that I was a finalist, I received tremendous support from everyone I worked with. They were great. When I actually was named MTOY I was blown away by the number of cards, letters, and emails I received--enough to fill a large shoebox! I was the first person in my school district to ever be named MTOY, and I think many in my district took pride in having someone on our team to represent our school district. I loved that because I felt I got to share this recognition with them.

Q: How important do you feel recognition is for teachers?

Cecil: I believe it is worth more than gold in some ways! The year I served as MTOY, I received more pats on the back and ‘appreciation’ comments for my teaching than most teachers receive in their entire career. It was the most incredible feeling. I believe every teacher deserves to feel the same way for all the hard work and dedication they put into their teaching as well.

I wish we could name thousands of Michigan Teachers of the Year each year instead of naming only one person. So many are deserving of recognition, and it really doesn't cost anything to give this type of recognition. I can only imagine how giving more teachers this type of recognition each year would uplift so many in our profession and pay huge dividends in our schools. I know from my own experience it has motivated me to work even harder every day to live up to that recognition I have received.

Q: How do you compare the special recognition you received to that of a merit pay option?

Cecil: I believe both have the potential to be great incentives for teachers. However, my fear with merit pay is that it has to be set-up in a way that is truly fair for all teachers.

My concern is that if merit pay is mainly based on student performance, it could discourage many teachers to want to work with students that have the most needs or attend struggling schools. I think teachers should be rewarded for wanting to take on these challenges and not put in a position where they could be punished financially for it. I don’t see that happening with recognition programs as much. I think they are designed to look at many different variables.

Q: What response to your recognition did you administrators, school board and students have to your winning?

Cecil: I think they took tremendous pride in it. It felt great to see the recognition I received uplift so many others around me. Like I mentioned earlier, in many ways it felt like a team award for the Waverly Community Schools!

Q: You mentioned that the Teacher of the Year recognition changed your life, how it has changed you:

Cecil: Being named Michigan Teacher of the Year has had a tremendous impact on my teaching and my life. It has motivated me continue to grow as a teacher each year to live up to that honour I received almost a decade ago. This recognition expanded the boundaries in my world in education way beyond my classroom and district. I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible teachers, policy makers, and community leaders in my own state and around the country.

I had the great honour of meeting and having my picture taken with President and Mrs. Bush in the Oval Office of the White House. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of me reaching out to help others in my profession, like the 30-50 percent of new teachers that are leaving within 3-5 years.

It has motivated me to find creative ways to reach out and support others while staying in my classroom to continue to do what I love most--to teach! One creative solution I came up with to help support others while staying in my classroom was to create a free video series for teachers that focus on team building, classroom management, and leadership strategies. You can access this free resource www.bestyearever.net/videos/.

Q: Fifty percent of American K-12 schools, in a survey of 20,000 teachers, were found not to have a recognition program: Should this change?

Cecil: Absolutely! I know of too many fantastic teachers that have not been given the recognition that they so deserving. To me, that is a shame. I know what it has meant to me, and only wish many others had a chance to experience the same thing. Again, I don't think it has to cost a lot of time or money to create an ongoing recognition program for teachers and school employees. Whatever the cost, I guarantee the return on that investment in high morale and pride would be amazing!

Q: Will teachers support ‘recognition’ awards if given for their excellence in teaching?

Cecil: I believe most teachers would love to be recognised for their hard work and success in the classroom. I still feel incredibly fortunate to have been named Michigan Teacher of the Year almost ten years ago. That pride and satisfaction will stay with me the rest of my life! If the recognition programs are sincere and free of any politics, I believe they would be welcomed with open arms by most teachers.

Q: What would be your response if your state passed a merit pay program for good teachers?

Cecil: I would want it to be fair. There are so many different variables to take into consideration. Every school and every classroom is different. I would want it to be fair for all teachers involved and be what is truly best for all our students.

Q: What else would you like to add to teachers in Australia and the USA relative to the importance of special recognition for excellence in teaching?

Cecil: I believe there is so much potential power in making an effort to recognise as many teachers and school employees as we can on a regular basis. Those receiving recognition for their hard work, dedication, and passion, knowing from my own experience, will drive them to work even harder to live up to that recognition and will help to increase team pride in many of our schools and school districts. This would truly create a fantastic win-win for teachers and students alike!

SummaryBill Cecil summarises very clearly and succinctly how important being selected for a special recognition for outstanding teaching becomes to a recipient. There are many educators and administrators and parents who can make this happen for the hundreds of thousands of other excellent teachers who will be surprised and appreciative. Such recognition, as Bill Cecil has explained are motivated to continue working as an outstanding teacher for their students.

About the Author:

Hans A. Andrews is a former secondary school teacher and counselor and held instructional administrative roles in community colleges. He retired as college president at Olney Central College in Illinois and is now the Distinguished Fellow for Community College Leadership for Olney Central College. He is President of Matilda Press and can be contacted at andrewsha@sbcglobal.net . His most recent books are Awards and Recognition for Exceptional Teachers and Accountable Teacher Evaluation and are available at: