Bancroft Award for Teaching Excellence
The purpose of The Bancroft Award for Teaching Excellence is to recognize all aspects of excellence in special education teaching and in special education teaching-related activities that foster students’ desire for a lifetime of individual achievement, independence and learning.
Award Recipients
Margaret Bancroft Distinguished Leadership Award
The Award is the highest honor Winston Knolls Education Group | The Winston Knolls School bestows upon an outstanding individual or organization celebrating the accomplishments of this exceptional individual or organization whose professional achievements, personal life, public or civic service, philanthropic or volunteer endeavors reflect their dedication and meritorious accomplishments.
Award Recipients
About Margaret Bancroft (1854-1912)
Bancroft’s intelligence, imagination, and dedication to her students set her apart as an extraordinary educator. At the age of 25, she embarked on a courageous and lonely endeavor by opening the first private boarding school in Haddonfield, New Jersey, for children with developmental delays. She believed that disabled children needed special schools, adapted material, and well-trained teachers rather than to be sent to institutions. Bancroft’s students responded to her love and patience and individually tailored instruction. Under her influence, the medical profession began to awaken to their responsibility to help correct defects and disabilities in children. Admirers of her skill came to train and later became leaders in the field of special education.