54th Annual Awards Contest
As CTA celebrates its 150th anniversary throughout 2013, our 54th annual John Swett Awards for Media Excellence take on special meaning. John Swett founded CTA in 1863 and elevated the teaching profession as he served as California’s fourth superintendent of public instruction. For the first time, public schools became free for all to attend during his four year term. He raised the bar, and this contest bears his name because all entries must show the kind of commitment to professionalism he gave during his life of advocacy for all educators and students.
As we honor CTA’s 15 decades of advocacy for our schools, students and teachers, we are honored to invite media to take part in a contest dedicated to the legacy of John Swett and his vision for a vibrant public school system. Newspaper, radio and television editors, reporters, producers, directors and bloggers were all encouraged to enter.
The 325,000-member California Teachers Association accepted nominations up until the program deadline, which was April 3, 2013. These awards herald outstanding coverage of community and campaign issues that touched California’s schools, community colleges and state universities during 2012.
Thanks to CTA members interacting with the media, vital school issues make it from the classroom to the newsroom, allowing the public and its elected representatives to make informed decisions about quality education and its future. This unique competition requires local chapters of CTA to nominate works by media professionals for the contest.
Judging is done by media peers — CTA removes itself entirely from the judging process. More details are included in this brochure. Winners are awarded plaques at a special Los Angeles reception in their honor. A statewide CTA news release and full-page advertisement listing the winners in the Columbia Journalism Review give further credit where it’s definitely due. Meritorious nominees whose work was not judged the most outstanding in their categories receive Certificates of Merit.
All media nominations must have appeared between January 1 and December 31, 2012
Deadline for nominations was: April 3, 2013 (late entries were not be accepted)
Review brochure & nomination form
Awards will be presented on May 31, 2013 at CTA's State Council of Education meeting in Los Angeles