Global teacher prize winner to give away $1m

Nancie Atwell, an English teacher from Maine in the United States, has been named as the winner of a competition to find the world's best teacher, with a prize of $1m (£680,000).

But Ms Atwell has promised to donate the money from the Global Teacher Prize to the school that she founded.

There was one UK representative in the top 10, Richard Spencer, who teaches science in Middlesbrough.

The prize was created to raise the status of teaching.

The winner of the inaugural Global Teacher Prize, who received her award at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on Sunday, was recognised for her work in teaching reading and writing.

On receiving the award, she said it was a "privilege" to work as a teacher and to help young people.

Giving away the prize money was "not being selfless, but being committed to public service", she said.

Former US president, Bill Clinton, told the audience that he could still remember almost all the names of his teachers and that the prize would help to remind the public of the importance of the profession.

It was "critically important" to "attract the best people into teaching" and to hold them in "high regard", said Mr Clinton.  Read More at BBC
Global teacher prize winner to give away $1m

The Global Teacher Prize

Top 50 Finalists - The Global Teacher Prize