Any educators nominated for this award must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be an exceptionally skilled and dedicated licensed classroom teacher (PreK to grade12 in a public or charter school) where teaching is the primary responsibility rather than administrative or supervisory responsibilities or an educational services professional (ESP) who is listed as one of the eligible enrollment areas
• Must have the latest summative rating of at least effective; if the teacher or the ESP has not received a summative rating at the time of application, then their most current practice rating should be at least effective or the equivalent
• Be an expert in the field who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn
• Actively collaborate with colleagues, students, and families to create a strong culture of respect and success
• Demonstrate leadership and innovation in educational activities at the school, district and/or state and national levels that take place both within and outside the school setting
• Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues
• Have not earned the title of school, county or state Teacher of the Year nor ESP of the Year for the past five (5) years

Note: There is no requirement for minimum number of years in the classroom, however as an ambassador for education, this is an award based on merit and leadership and not to be given out solely based on years of service, like a retirement award.

In order to compete for Educational Services Professional of the Year nominees must be classified as one of the following:

• Anti-Bullying Specialist
• Athletic Trainer
• Behavior Specialist
• Child Study Team
• Cooperative Education Coordinator/Hazardous Occupations
• Educational Interpreter (Cued Speech, Transliteration, Oral Interpreting, Sign Language Interpreting)
• Guidance / School Counselor
• Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
• Library Media Specialist
• Mathematics Specialist / Mathematics Coach
• Nurse (Instructional & Non-instructional)
• Occupational Therapist
• Paraprofessional (Instructional only)
• Physical Therapist
• Psychologist
• Reading Specialist / Reading Coach
• Social Worker
• Speech Language Specialist
• Student Assistant Coordinator
• Technology Coach