2025-26 Principal and Teacher of the Year Awards —Final Call for Nominations

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is participating in The Washington Post Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year Awards, which recognize excellence in education throughout the region. All ACPS community members — including students, staff, families and Alexandria residents — are invited to submit nominations by Oct. 31, 2025, in accordance with the following instructions:

• To nominate a teacher: Send a written statement of support by Oct. 31, 2025, to the principal at the teacher’s school. Each principal, in partnership with the staff, then selects one nominee from their school to go on to the ACPS teacher finalists round. The Teacher of the Year (TOY) for all schools will be announced in November 2025.
• To nominate a principal: Please send a statement of support by Oct. 31, 2025, to Sherri Tullia in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leadership at sherri.tullia@acps.k12.va.us.The Principal of the Year (POY) will be announced in the spring of 2026.

To be eligible for The Washington Post Principal of the Year Award, nominees must be full-time principals (in grades pre-kindergarten through 12) in an accredited school in the Washington D.C. metropolitan region, per the newspaper’s list of jurisdictions. Nominees must have a minimum of two years of experience as a principal, one of which must be in the school or school system in which they are currently serving.

Nominees must be serving as an administrator for the 2025-26 school year and must meet the following criteria:

• Inspires excellence and creativity, and provides an innovative vision for the future of their school. 
• Establishes meaningful relationships throughout the school division and community.
• Fosters cooperation between the school and the community.
• Demonstrates and encourages creativity and innovation.
• Maintains a continuous dialogue with students, families, faculty and staff.
• Remains informed about developments in the field of education.
• Encourages team spirit.
• Demonstrates leadership and exemplifies commitment.
• Plays an active role in the classroom.
• Maintains their position as principal throughout the 2025-26 school year.

To be eligible for The Washington Post Teacher of the Year Award, nominees must be full-time teachers (in grades pre-kindergarten through 12) in an accredited school in the Washington D.C., metropolitan region, per the newspaper’s list of jurisdictions. Nominees must have a minimum of two years of teaching experience, one of which must be in the school or school system in which they are currently serving. Nominees must be serving as a teacher for the 2025-26 school year and must meet the following criteria:

• Instills in students a desire to learn and achieve.
• Understands the individual needs of students, encourages their talents and fosters their self-esteem.
• Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of subject matter and the ability to share it effectively with students.
• Fosters cooperative relationships with their colleagues and the community.
• Demonstrates outstanding leadership.
• Maintains their teaching position throughout the 2025-26 school year.

The ACPS Principal of the Year and Teacher of the Year will be selected by an ACPS panel in 2026 and will become finalists for The Washington Post awards. ACPS and The Washington Post will announce the winners in April 2026.