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Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz Announces Laurie Davies of Pine Tree Elementary as Milken Educator Award Winner

January 27, 2015

AVON – This morning, Glenda Ritz, Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction announced that Laurie Davies of Pine Tree Elementary School in Avon Community School Corporation has been honored as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award. The award is given by the Milken Family Foundation and along with national recognition, includes a $25,000 cash prize.

“I am incredibly honored to announce that Laurie Davies has earned this incredible award,” said Ritz. “She is a true example of how one teacher’s dedication can impact her students and her school community. She works with parents to build personal connections to strengthen her teaching and in her classroom, she focuses on literacy and its importance in all aspects of education. She is incredibly well-deserving of this recognition.”

The Milken Educator Awards, conceived by the Milken Family Foundation to attract, retain and motivate outstanding talent to the teaching profession, is the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program, dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine. Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has devoted more than $137 million in funding to the Milken Educator Awards, including over $65 million in individual Awards to more than 2,600 recipients plus powerful professional development opportunities and networking with leading education stakeholders.

Davies teaches fourth grade at Pine Tree Elementary School in Avon. She teaches Language Arts, Math, Science and Social studies and has focused on the use of data to improve student performance. She also regularly develops creative ways to present curriculum to her students and provides professional development opportunities for her fellow educators.

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