Lottery touts schools funding, seeks Teacher of Year nominees

The Oregon Lottery launched a new ad campaign this week highlighting the largest slice of the lottery funding pie, education, and calling on Oregonians to nominate excellent teachers for Oregon’s Teacher of the Year program.

Lottery partnered with the Oregon Department of Education and the Beaverton School District to showcase Oregon students and teachers, the ultimate beneficiaries of lottery dollars. Schools featured include Mountainside High School and Springville K-8 in the Beaverton School District.

For the 2017-18 school year alone, more than $380 million in lottery funding supported Oregon schools. In addition to the dedicated funding, Lottery is allocating marketing dollars to support Oregon’s Teacher of the Year Program, recognizing exceptional teachers across the state.

The nomination period for the Oregon Teacher of the Year program closes at the end of January. Anyone can nominate a teacher and all Oregonians are encouraged to nominate their favorite teacher today at oregonteacheroftheyear.org.

Thanks to the Oregon Department of Education’s partnership with the Oregon Lottery, the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school) and serve as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers. In addition, Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $500 and will be celebrated across the state.

— Nominations are open statewide through January 31, 2019.

— Teachers will submit their applications by March 30, 2019.

— Each of the 19 Oregon Education Service Districts may select a winner from their region.

— Regional Teachers of the Year will be honored across the state in May 2019.

— In September 2019 one of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year.

If you have any questions, please contact Oregon Teacher of the Year program coordinator Jenni Knaus at 503-947-5860.

The education campaign marks another chapter in an effort to use marketing dollars to highlight the work of Lottery beneficiaries. In 2018, Lottery showcased state parks, watershed enhancement and veterans’ services.