Etta Schneiderman, a math teacher at Floral Park Memorial High School, is being recognized for her creativity and success in the classroom as a Disney Teacher Award nominee. Schneiderman joins an elite group of teachers from across the country who have been recognized by their communities. As the next step in the awards process, Schneiderman is now submitting an application to be considered for the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year award.

"This is an outstanding honor," Schneiderman said. "We join this profession because we believe we can positively impact the future of children. Receiving this nomination from a student is the ultimate achievement of that goal."

Floral Park Memorial High School Principal Kathleen Sottile stated unequivocally that Schneiderman is "most deserving" of this prestigious award. She characterized Schneiderman as "inspirational and energetic, a professional who, in her 22 years at Floral Park, has never lost her sense of creativity and zest for education in and outside the classroom. Etta is a truly caring individual who is willing to go the extra mile for students, staff and the community alike. She is a constant source of support for those around her and I am thrilled that she has received this nomination."

Since 1989, Disney Teacher Awards have been presented to teachers who construct learning environments where students and teachers alike explore, imagine and engage in a variety of stimulating ideas and experiences. Specifically, the program honors those teachers whose approaches exemplify creativity in teaching and who inspire a joy of learning in their students.

"Sixteen years ago we started celebrating local heroes by establishing the annual Disney Teacher Awards to celebrate and honor America's finest educators," Terry Wick, vice president of Disney Worldwide Outreach, said. "This nomination process shows thousands of teachers across the country how much their work means to their students, colleagues and communities."

In addition to letters of recommendation, Schneiderman will submit an application that includes several professional reflection essays describing her classroom approach to teaching, the impact of high stakes testing, how she approaches collaboration in her school and career and an event that shaped her as a teacher. A committee comprised of education experts from around the country will then review the nominee applications and select the 2006 Disney Teacher Award honorees.

The honorees will be announced in late spring and celebrated at a red-carpet awards gala in July. During the gala, four honorees will be selected as Outstanding Teachers and one will be named the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year. In addition, the honorees each receive $10,000, a $5,000 grant for their schools and a six-day professional development institute with their principals at the Walt Disney World Resort. At the institute, teachers share ideas to refine their innovative teaching approaches and learn how to engage other teachers to build an effective collaborative teaching culture at their schools.