A math teacher at Grand Prairie High School today was surprised with the news that she has been named a recipient of the Milken Educator Award, a national award recognizing excellence in teaching that often is considered the equivalent of an Oscar award for movies.
The Milken Educator Awards is the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program. More than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists have been surprised with individual, unrestricted $25,000 prizes since 1987. Recipients are heralded early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future. Honorees join the national Milken Educator Network, a group whose expertise is a valuable resource to those shaping the future of education.
Recipients are caught by surprise when their names are announced at emotional all-school assemblies in front of cheering students, proud colleagues, distinguished officials and the media. There’s a reason why many call the Milken Educator Awards the “Oscars of Teaching”—new Milken Educators have even been asked for autographs by admiring students! And while the celebrity treatment is well-deserved, the Awards aren’t about the glitz and glamour. They’re about bringing attention to these classroom heroes; serving at once as validation, motivation, and inspiration to current and future quality educators. The message: We recognize you. We value you. We thank you.
