The Franklin B. Walter award is given to an outstanding educator or team from each of the 16 State Support Teams in Ohio. Awarded to recipients who have made extraordinary contributions to the education of students with disabilities, this award is given in honor of the late 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, including the development of the nation’s first statewide plan for children with disabilities.