Employee Excellence Award nominations
Vancouver Public Schools’ Employee Excellence Awards celebrate the staff who live out our district’s Strategic Plan and core values.
We want to recognize those who demonstrate: Safety, Belonging, Integrity, Equity, Community, and Love of Learning through their outstanding contributions to students, staff, families, and our community.
Is there a teacher who inspires a lifelong love of learning? A colleague who consistently exceeds expectations? Or a support staff member who creates a sense of belonging for every student?
Nominate them today! We welcome nominations from colleagues, students, parents, and community members.
To be eligible for this award, nominees must:
- Be current Vancouver Public Schools employees or emergency replacement substitutes.
- Have been employed by the district for more than 18 months.
- Not have received this award within the past 12 months.
- Be currently working.
- Not be retired, nor planning to retire before the recognition date.
- Not be contract or substitute employees (excluding emergency replacement subs).
Each nominee undergoes vetting by Human Resources. We also gather input from school/department supervisors.
Please note that administrators are not eligible to receive or submit nominations for this award. While we greatly value their leadership, admin may be recognized through other established evaluation and recognition processes.
We want to hear how a member of our staff truly made a difference! To help you create a successful nomination, we suggest:
Show how they live our Core Values:
Tell us how the person embodies our district’s core values:
- Safety
- Belonging
- Equity
- Integrity
- Community
- Love of Learning
Be sure to include specific examples of how their actions have impacted you, your family, and/or your school community.
Back it up with evidence:
If you have numbers, use them! Think:
- Attendance rates
- Test scores
- Any measurable improvements
Keep it focused and concise:
- Nominations should be between two full sentences and around 250 words.
Nominees who clear the vetting process are sent to the selection committee for review. The selection committee assesses how well each nominee embodies our district’s core values.
The committee votes monthly from October to June, and up to five individuals with the most votes are recommended for the award. The VPS Board of Directors officially awards the chosen staff members at the monthly school board meeting.
In addition to awardees chosen by the peer nomination and the Excellence Awards committee voting process, the Board of Directors may recognize recipients who have been nominated by the Superintendent’s Cabinet for demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to VPS students and their families.
Email recognitionaward@vansd.org.
Please note that we are unable to share specific reasons why a nominee did not advance. This protects the integrity of the awards process and keeps sensitive staff information confidential.
Recognize VPS Excellence at the state-level
Washington State honors exceptional teachers and support staff with their Employee of the Year awards. Show your appreciation for our dedicated VPS team by nominating them for this prestigious state recognition.
Nomination schedule
| Award month | Nomination deadline at noon | Recipients recognized at school board meeting |
|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | Sept. 3 | Oct. 8 |
| November 2024 | Oct. 7 | Nov. 12 |
| December 2024 | Nov. 6 | Dec. 10 |
| January 2025 | Nov. 25 | Jan. 14 |
| February 2025 | Dec. 11 | Feb. 11 |
| March 2025 | Jan. 21 | Mar. 11 |
| April 2025 | Feb. 12 | Apr. 8 |
| May 2025 | Mar. 13 | May 13 |
| June 2025 | Apr. 17 | June 3 |
Even if a deadline has passed, you can still submit a nomination. Nominations are accepted all year long!
Recent winners
Submission form
Please fill out the following form completely.