Awards

2023 Annual Georgia Charter School Awards

One of GCSA’s greatest strengths as an organization is working together with member schools to spread impact and know-how across Georgia’s charter school sector. In that spirit, GCSA’s annual awards (which are school-nominated and peer-selected) provide an opportunity to feature outstanding achievements and best practices from the past year and to tell the story of how charter schools advanced both students and communities.  

School Awards (School-Nominated and Peer-Selected)

The Game Changer Award recognizes charter schools that tackled pandemic-related learning loss to produce game-changing results under unprecedented circumstances. Nominees in this category pushed the envelope to make a significant impact for students and families—implementing, tracking effectiveness, and adapting quickly when needed–paving the way for others to replicate or adapt this strategy in their school communities. The award winner will receive $25,000 for educational use.

The Best Collaboration Award recognizes positive and productive partnerships between schools and other entities (community and civic organizations, faith-based organizations, institutes of higher education, municipal government entities, parent groups, etc.) features coalitions of charter schools and community members who worked together to achieve a significant impact for students and families. Working in coalition can be incredibly powerful—and incredibly challenging.  This category honors the hard work of coalitions that organized artfully to respond to unique opportunities or challenges in their communities, contributed to a positive outcome for students, and inspired others to take up similar efforts. Nominees in this category not only partnered effectively to benefit kids—they did it in partnership and—at times—across lines of difference. The award winner will receive $25,000 for educational use.

Nominate a World-Class Leader and / or Teacher from Georgia Charter Schools

Individual Awards (Committee-Selected)

• The Charter School Leader of the Year Award honors high-capacity educational leaders who effectively harness their vision to drive school culture and performance. The winner of this prestigious award will receive $3,500 for educational purposes. 
• The Charter School Teacher of the Year Award spotlights dynamic educators who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to charter school students, their families, and their communities. The 2023 Charter School Teacher of the Year will receive $1,500 for classroom and educational purposes. 

Award FAQs

Who is eligible for a GCSA Annual Award?

GCSA member schools, school leaders, and teachers. 

Who can nominate a school for an award?

Any GCSA member school, GCSA staffer, or GCSA board member can nominate potential award winners in each of the specified award categories in recognition of outstanding performance or service.

How are winners selected?

School Awards:

After nominations are submitted, a selection committee made up of GCSA staff members identifies finalists in each category.  All stakeholders attending the GCSA Conference are eligible to vote for school-wide award winners in the Game Changer Award category and the Best Collaboration category.  We encourage everyone to vote based on merit and not on school affiliation or name recognition.

Individual Awards:

A selection committee comprised of external stakeholders assesses candidates and identifies individual award winners for Teacher of the Year and Leader of the Year. 

When does the award process begin?

GCSA will accept nominations for school-wide awards (Game Changer Award and Best Collaboration Award) from January 6th to January 31st.  Finalists will be announced on February 13th  Voting for the Game Changer Award and the Best Collaboration Award will take place LIVE at the GCSA Conference on Wednesday, March 15 at the Awards Luncheon. 

Leader of the Year and Teacher of the Year will be identified and awarded by an external selection committee and announced at the GCSA Conference.

What is required of School Winners and Finalists?

We ask all schools selected as finalists for the Game Changer Award and the Best Collaboration Award to attend the GCSA Conference happening March 13-15 2023, and participate on a discussion panel on Wednesday, March 15 to discuss lessons/reflections on what made their work successful, strategies that could be replicable in other places, and what they would do differently if they could. 

Past Award Recipients