Geraldine Burns Award for Excellence in English Education

​Geraldine Burns (1929-2015), born in Altus, Oklahoma, received her teaching degree from Northeastern State University. She taught school for over thirty years before retiring from Jenks Public Schools in 1995. The Geraldine Burns Award, named in her honor, is an annual prize given to preservice teaching students who are recognized as outstanding future educators. Institutions of higher education nominate the best English teacher in their program who are set to graduate during the same year. Geraldine Burns award winners receive free OKCTE membership for the year and are recognized at the OKCTE spring conference.

In 2019, #OKCTE Commemorated two Oklahoma Educators with "Namesake" Awards:
the Claudia Swisher "Advocacy Award" & the Dr. Lawrence Baines "Leadership Award"