ALAS “Of The Year” Award Nominations

ALAS “Of The Year” Award Nominee

Call for Nominations

ALAS “Of The Year” Award Nominee

Theme: Elevating Excellence

Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026

Elevating Excellence means leading with purpose, serving with humility, and creating measurable impact for Latino students, educators, families, and communities. Excellence is not simply achievement—it is the intentional elevation of others through mentorship, advocacy, innovation, and service.

The ALAS “Of The Year” Award recognizes leaders who embody this commitment daily and whose work reflects the highest standards of educational leadership and community impact.

Nomination Narrative Required

Maximum: 1,000 words

Please respond to the prompts below in your narrative submission to demonstrate the nominee’s impact and leadership.

Narrative Prompts

01. Exemplifying Leadership

In what ways has the nominee exemplified “Elevating Excellence” in their leadership?
Describe how their work goes beyond expectations and demonstrates sustained impact.

02. Mentoring and Coaching

Provide specific examples of mentoring and coaching:

How has the nominee intentionally developed other leaders?
What evidence shows growth, advancement, or transformation among those they have mentored?
How have they built leadership pipelines or supported emerging Latino educators?

03. Service to Organization

Describe their service to their organization:

What measurable improvements (student outcomes, staff retention, culture, systems change, equity initiatives, etc.) can be attributed to their leadership?
How have they fostered inclusive, culturally affirming environments?

04. Service to Community

Describe their service to the broader community:

How have they partnered with families, community organizations, or affiliates?
In what ways have they advocated for Latino students and educational equity?
How have they strengthened connections between school systems and the communities they serve?

05. Spirit of Service

How does this leader elevate others while maintaining a spirit of service?
Share examples that illustrate their character, integrity, and commitment to lifting others.

06. Why This Nominee?

Why is this nominee deserving of the ALAS “Of The Year” Award at this moment in time?
Explain how their leadership represents the best of ALAS and advances our mission nationally.

ALAS “Of the Year” Award Nominee Application 2026-2027

Award Category

Advocate of the Year

Principal of the Year

Central Office Administrator of the Year

Nomination Narrative

Contact Information - Personal

Nominee Name:

Prefix First Last Suffix

CURRENT POSITION (if applicable)

Position/Title

Number of Years in Current Role

Address

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Contact Phone Number

District Information

District Name

School Name (if applicable)

District Address

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

School District Superintendent's Name

Prefix First Last Suffix

School Superintendent’s Email Address

District Setting

Urban

Suburban

Rural

Students Receiving Free/Reduced Price Meals (%)

School District Enrollment:

School District Demographic Composition (%)

African-American / Black

American Indian / Alaskan Native

Asian

Caucasian / White

Hispanic / Latino

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander

School’s Grade Level Configuration

(check one, if applicable)

Elementary/Middle School District: (includes either K-5 or K-8 may include PK)

High School District: (Grades 9-12 does NOT include Pre/ K-8)

K-12 School District (may include PK)

Professional Experience, Service, and Accomplishments

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Position/Title

Name of Employer

Location of Employer

# of Years in Role

List by Most Recent (maximum of 5 entries)

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

Degree

Name of Institution

Location of Institution

Dates (mm/yy to mm/yy)

List by Most Recent (maximum of 5 entries)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, AWARDS AND HONORS

Professional Association/Organization

Office Held/Awards Received

Dates (mm/yy to mm/yy)

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

(to be completed as applicable)

Community Association/Organization

Description/Office Held/Awards Received

Dates (mm/yy to mm/yy)

Three Most Significant Accomplishments

Accomplishment #1

Accomplishment #2

Accomplishment #3

Headshot

Max. file size: 25 MB.

Affirmation Statement - ALAS "Of The Year" Nominee

Required Document

“Of the Year” Nominee Affirmation Statement

ALAS National Awards Program

Official Affirmations

I do hereby affirm that I plan on remaining in a position of school leadership during the 2026-2027 school year.

I do further affirm that the information included in this application packet is a fair and true representation of the facts of my professional career and grant my permission to confirm all the enclosed materials as needed.

I do hereby grant my permission for any or all the enclosed materials (including my photo but excluding sensitive personal contact info) to be shared with persons and organizations interested in promoting ALAS educational leader awards and its honorees.

ALAS Excellence Network

If selected to receive this award, the honoree will join the ALAS Excellence Network and will have the following responsibilities throughout the 2026-2027 year:

Conduct and host a National Excellence Webinar (60–90 minutes)

Serve as a Mentor in an ALAS academy or mentoring cohort

Publish an excellence brief on behalf of ALAS sharing best practices

Recruit minimum 5 new members to ALAS in 2026-2027

Be willing to present a masterclass at the 2027 National Summit

Be willing to host a site visit for select ALAS members

Name (Digital Signature)

By signing digitally, you agree to the statement above. Your signature is equivalent to a handwritten one and will be timestamped upon submission.