ATPE Local Unit of the Year Award

The Local Unit of the Year Award acknowledges a local unit’s superior efforts and accomplishments during the year. Each winning local unit will receive a check for $1,000. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding achievements in five major areas (see below) and overall excellence.

The Local Unit of the Year Award is presented in four categories:

• Local units with 1–200 members
• Local units with 201–500 members
• Local units with 501+ members
• University local units

1. Local units may apply for or be nominated for the award.
2. Supporting documentation must be filed along with a copy of the application/nomination form.
3. Local Unit of the Year Award applicants/nominees are judged in the following five achievement areas:

• Local unit management: Local units will be judged on organizational skills, including how responsibilities are delegated among officers and campus representatives and how plans are made at the beginning of the year to implement local unit objectives. Management of local unit funds, maintenance of membership records and recognition of outstanding local unit members will also be considered.
• Membership maintenance and growth: This area focuses on the effectiveness of programs designed to promote the local unit and attract new members.
• Member services: Local units are encouraged to produce their own newsletters and to conduct surveys to determine the needs of their membership. In this area, local units are judged on how effectively they determine the needs of their members and how they respond with activities and services.
• Service to the school and community: ATPE encourages its local units to support their profession and their communities. This area focuses on community involvement and service to public education. Examples include scholarship funds for future educators, contributions to student organizations and involvement in environmental issues.
• Political involvement: This area relates to activities that advance ATPE priorities. This may include activities such as:
  • Building relationships with legislators and school boards.
  • Conducting letter-writing campaigns.
  • Holding candidate forums.
  • Hosting a Political Involvement Training.
  • Recruiting ATPE Legislative Alert Network members.

4. Local units selected as finalists must have a representative present at the ATPE Summit in Austin for oral interviews.
5. Recipients of the Local Unit of the Year award are ineligible to apply for the award the following year.

A committee of ATPE members is selected each year by the state president and approved by the Board of Directors. This judging committee will review all applications and select up to three finalists for each category. Following oral interviews at the summit, the committee will select the recipients.

1. Entries for Local Unit of the Year must be postmarked no later than March 2, 2018, if mailed, or received by midnight on the same date if submitted online.
2. Finalists will be notified in May so they may make arrangements to attend the ATPE Summit. (The summit registration fee will be waived for one leader who represents the local unit finalist in the on-site interview process.)
3. Deadline extension! Entries for Local Unit of the Year must be postmarked no later than March 16, 2018, if mailed, or received by midnight on the same date if submitted online.

Supporting documentation for the Local Unit of the Year Award is limited to four 8 1/2” x 11” pages (front and back) and should center on the five achievement areas outlined below.

The supporting documentation must be submitted electronically along with the nomination/application form.

Five Achievement Areas (Please see Criteria and Guidelines for details.)

1. Local unit management.
2. Membership growth.
3. Member services.
4. Service to the school and community.
5. Political involvement.