2025 Horn Walter Awards

The R.A. Horn and Franklin B. Walter Achievement Awards are offered to public schools and community schools in Ohio. The awards are sponsored by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities with the assistance from Ohio's State Support Teams. The awards ceremony honoring awardees from all 16 State Support Team Regions will be held on June 10, 2025, 1:00 - 3:00 at the Villa Milano in Columbus. Please contact Tamie Cruz if you have any questions.

Please Note: The nomination and release forms for the Horn and Walter Awards need to be completed, signed, scanned and emailed to Tamie Cruz by April 17, 2025.

The R.A. Horn Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to one exemplary special education student from each of Ohio’s sixteen State Support Team regions. Named in honor of the late Dr. Raymond A. Horn, Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction Emeritus, this prestigious award recognizes students’ remarkable performance. Acknowledged as a national leader in the field of special education, Dr. Horn devoted more than 60 years of service to improving the quality of life and learning for students with disabilities. Dr. Horn left behind a legacy and a challenge to all of us to ensure that every student with a disability be given the respect and the opportunities to which they are entitled.

The Franklin B. Walter Outstanding Educator Award is presented to one Educator or Team of Educators from each of Ohio’s sixteen State Support Team Regions who have made extraordinary contributions to the education of students with disabilities. This award is named in honor of the late Dr. Franklin B. Walter, Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1977 until 1991, a post held longer than any other state superintendent in Ohio’s history. With over 50 years of service as a teacher and administrator, Dr. Walter’s leadership is evident in many of Ohio’s quality educational initiatives and programs.

This document/product/software was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, (Award #H027A160111, CFDA 84.027A, awarded to the Ohio Department of Education). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred.