News and Events

Archdiocese of Chicago Teacher is a 2020 Golden Apple Award Finalist

Archdiocesan teacher and assistant principal Renee Bartley-Bogard, of St. Patricia School in Hickory Hills, is among the finalists for the prestigious award

Chicago, IL (Jan. 23, 2020) – The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that Renee Bartley-Bogard, a teacher and assistant principal at St. Patricia School in Hickory Hills, Ill., is a finalist for the 2020 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Bartley-Bogard is one of 30 educators selected as finalists for the prestigious award -- just four percent of a record-setting 732 nominations received from 64 counties in Illinois. Award finalists will be honored on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Golden Apple Celebration of Excellence in Teaching & Leadership celebration at the Q Center in St. Charles, Ill.

“Mrs. Bartley-Bogard is a wonderful teacher and a beloved presence at St. Patricia School,” said Dr. Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic Schools. “I share in the joy and celebration of Mrs. Bartley-Bogard’s accomplishment. I am deeply grateful for the exceptional work of our Catholic school educators.”

The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching honors outstanding teachers for creating lasting, beneficial effects on students’ lives and school communities. Teacher finalists demonstrate -- in their teaching and results -- significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning. Fellow educators, students, parents and community members nominate teachers for the awards. Teachers may not self-nominate.

Bartley-Bogard is a junior high science, reading, language arts, and religion teacher at St. Patricia School, where she has taught for 25 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from National College of Education and a master’s degree in education from National Lewis University as well as certifications and endorsements in multiple subjects. Bartley-Bogard is also the junior high coordinator and leads the school’s junior high honor society and student garden club.

“I am so proud of Mrs. Bartley-Bogard. She is an amazing teacher who is loved by students, parents, and teachers alike,” said Jamie Nowinski, principal of St. Patricia School. “The announcement of the nomination was greeted with thunderous applause from the entire school. Mrs. Bartley-Bogard is proof that angels are among us.”  

Award recipients are selected by master educators who understand and recognize instructional best practices and use professional standards to evaluate exemplary teachers and school leaders. Members of the selection committee reviewed video evidence of instruction and observed finalists’ teaching in-person in their classrooms - a comprehensive day which includes direct observation of in-classroom teaching accompanied by interviewing finalists’ colleagues, school leaders, students, parents, and community members. 

The 2020 Golden Apple Award recipients will be notified in the spring with surprise visits to their schools. Northwestern University, Golden Apple’s partner for more than 30 years, generously provides a Spring Sabbatical stipend to award recipients. In addition, each Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who support current and future teachers and deepen the learning of students.