INFORMATIONAL

  The Department of Education is developing a talent pool
  of Virginia educators that will consist of a cadre of
  distinguished teachers and principals.  These educators
  will be considered for membership on advisory boards and
  task forces as well as candidates for special recognition
  programs.  Your nomination of at least three outstanding
  educators, two classroom teachers (one elementary teacher
  grades prek-5, one middle/secondary teacher grades 6-12),
  and one principal will identify a group of leaders who
  will be a great value to your community and state and who
  ultimately may also receive prestigious recognition for
  their services. 

  Please send us your three nominations for the talent
  pool.  I encourage you to nominate educators who are
  outstanding but have not received recognition as well as
  those who have been recognized for their contributions
  (e.g., school, division, regional, or state teachers of
  the year, Golden Apple Award winners, Presidential Awards
  for Excellence in mathematics and science, Christa
  McAuliffe Award winners, curriculum area teachers of the
  year, school, division, regional, or state principals of
  the year).  Please be certain that the majority of your
  nominations are educators in their early- to mid-careers. 
  Early- to mid-career teachers would have between three
  and twenty years of teaching experience.  For principals,
  early- to mid-career is in the first ten years as an
  administrator.

  Please provide CONFIDENTIAL, succinct, and specific 
  information about your nominations on the enclosed form.  
  I urge you to take the time to nominate candidates.  If
  necessary, please assign the request to an associate in
  your central office.  Complete information must be
  submitted by May 17, 1999, to Dr. Thomas A. Elliott,
  Assistant Superintendent for Teacher Education and
  Licensure, Virginia Department of Education, P. O. Box
  2120, Richmond, VA 23218-2120.

  I look forward to your participation in this program.  If
  you have questions, please contact me or Dr. Elliott at
  (804) 371-2522.

  PDS

  Enclosures:  A hard copy of this memo and its attach-
               ment will be sent to the superintendent's
               office.