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Surprise! Anthony Angelini of New Oxford Is Pennsylvania’s Recipient of a Milken Educator Award and $25,000

December 04, 2015

SANTA MONICA, CA — A routine school assembly turned into the surprise of a lifetime for Anthony Angelini, a dual-certified social studies and language arts teacher at New Oxford Middle School in the Conewago Valley School District. Before cheering students, respected colleagues, distinguished officials and the media, Angelini was presented with a Milken Educator Award and its accompanying no-strings-attached $25,000 cash prize.

Angelini is among up to only 40 educators who will receive the prestigious national honor during the Milken Family Foundation’s (MFF) coast-to-coast tour across the country. MFF has been rewarding outstanding elementary and secondary educators with the Award since 1987.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera joined Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley in making the special announcement.

“Being selected to receive the Milken Educator Award is an impressive honor, and Mr. Angelini joins a respected group of educators,” Rivera said. “Mr. Angelini is not just a leader in the classroom, but a leader in the school and community, regarded for his volunteerism, tireless service to his students, and enthusiasm to exceed expectations.”

“Anthony Angelini is a teacher leader dedicated to providing students with critical skill sets to become educated and productive citizens,” said Foley. “He seamlessly weaves social studies and language arts together, creating a rich and rigorous curriculum that engages students and pushes them to new heights. What’s more, Anthony’s enthusiasm and expertise extend outside the school walls. He has played an essential role in training teachers and influencing district policies and practices—all to build a culture of continuous learning for teachers and students alike. I congratulate Anthony and warmly welcome him into the Milken Educator family.”   

Rivera added, “A great teacher can play an enormous role in the lives of his or her students by not only in preparing them to be college or career ready, but by igniting in them an enthusiasm for lifelong learning. Awards like the Milken help communities recognize and celebrate great teachers.”

At New Oxford Middle School, Angelini teaches two classes each to 7th and 8th graders, from the at-risk to highly gifted.

Angelini uses in-depth lesson plans and research-based practices, and has his classes work in collaborative pairs. He has also created a special technical training program for 7th graders, and writes a weekly newsletter to stay in touch with these students and their parents during off hours. These initiatives have produced consistent growth for Angelini’s students on summative assessments like the PSSAs, and many test scores have tracked in the above-average range for his district. Several of his 7th and 8th graders have also ended up winning local Veterans of Foreign Wars awards for writing.

In both school and district, Angelini works to make critical changes. At New Oxford Middle School, he serves as the social studies department curriculum leader. He also mentors new teachers, integrates Pennsylvania core standards of literacy into history curriculum, and is on the school improvement team, working to expand the use of technology in the classroom. District committee involvement has included him belonging to the Learning-Focused Schools steering committee, the differentiated supervision committee and the Student Learning Objectives (SLO) pilot cohort.

Angelini successfully applied for a Target field trip grant so his students could travel to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He has also taught outside of school hours at New Oxford High School’s Warrior Academy for at-risk students and at a summer technology camp. He is an adjunct instructor at Gettysburg College and a guest lecturer at Wilson College. He co-authored “100 Experiential Learning Activities for Social Studies, Literature and the Arts.”

Angelini’s students take notice of his efforts. They look up to him and he reaches out to become a part of their lives. They are said to ask him for recommendations well into their post-graduate years. While one former student invited Angelini to his Eagle Scout ceremony so that he could see the impact he’d made, another, an at-risk student, joined the Young Marines because of his teacher’s guidance.

Angelini holds a 2006 Bachelor of Arts in history from Gettysburg College, and a 2014 Master of Education from Shippensburg University.

More information about Angelini, plus photos and a video from today’s assembly, can be found on the Milken Educator Awards website at http://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/anthony-angelini.

The Milken Educator Awards program has been described as “the Oscars of teaching” by Teacher magazine. Recipients are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. Many have gone on to earn advanced degrees and be placed in prominent posts and on state and national education committees.

Alternating yearly between elementary and secondary educators, the Milken Awards are sourced through each participating state department of education, which appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to confidentially review candidates for recommendation to MFF.

This year, MFF launched a #MyTeacherRocks Instagram campaign that encourages students to take selfies with their favorite teacher and describe in the caption why their teacher is special. To enter the contest, entrants are asked to follow @MilkenFamilyFdn on Instagram, post their selfie to their individual account and use the #MyTeacherRocks and #MilkenAward hashtags. Two photos with the most “likes” will be selected in February and April 2016. The first of the three winners was selected in November 2015.

To get regular updates on the surprise Milken Educator Award events, follow and use the #MilkenAward hashtag on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit www.MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call MFF at (310) 570-4772.

The Milken Educator Awards tour is on social media at https://instagram.com/milkenfamilyfdn; www.facebook.com/milkeneducatorawards; www.twitter.com/milken; and www.youtube.com/milkenaward.

The Milken Educator Awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation, were launched in 1987. The Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish.

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