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Little Rock, Arkansas Teacher Named 2014-2015 Milken Educator

Arkansas “EAST” Facilitator Spearheads a Successful Project-Based,
Service Learning Program

February 26, 2015

Santa Monica, CA—Carman McBride was in for a major surprise this morning – a surprise worth $25,000 and the honor of being named one of the best teachers in the country. An Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) facilitator for grades three through five at Don R. Roberts Elementary School in the Little Rock School District, McBride was named a 2014-15 Milken Educator at a surprise event today.

As a Milken Educator, McBride receives a $25,000 check from the Milken Family Foundation. Arkansas Commissioner of Education Tony Wood and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching President and Milken Educator Dr. Gary Stark (AR ’01) presented the Award to this outstanding educator.

"The biggest key to a good education is a dedicated teacher," Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said. "The right teacher makes a difference in a student’s life every day, long after that student has left the classroom. If you’ve been blessed with a great teacher, and I have, you never forget them. I know that our honoree today will be remembered most by the folks who matter most to her — her students."

“Ms. McBride is honored for her dedication and passion for teaching,” said Commissioner Wood. “From high student test scores to community projects, Ms. McBride’s achievements are outstanding. She approaches each day with a commitment to ensuring all of her students receive a quality education and positively impact their school and community.”

Prior to serving as an EAST facilitator, McBride was a fourth-grade teacher at Don Roberts from 2010 to 2013. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, a Pathwise-trained mentor and was named the school’s 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year. 

Before joining the staff at Don Roberts, McBride was a fourth-grade teacher at College Hill Elementary School in Texarkana for two years, where she was certified in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. 

She received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Texas A&M University in Texarkana, Texas, in December 2007 and is currently working on a Master of Education at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. 

“We are proud to join the Milken Foundation in honoring the exceptional work of Don Roberts Elementary School Teacher Carman McBride,” said Little Rock School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Dexter Suggs, a 2007 Milken Educator. “Ms. McBride represents the caliber of educator we all want our children to encounter. She works tirelessly to not only challenge her students, but to inspire them to perform at the highest level. We are fortunate to have her as a member of the LRSD family and wish Ms. McBride continued success.”

The Milken Family Foundation first presented the Milken Educator Awards in 1987. Since that time, it has become the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program and was dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine. More than $137 million in funding, including over $65 million in individual $25,000 awards, has been devoted to the overall program, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout recipients’ careers. 

Arkansas joined the program in 1991. Since then, more than 70 Arkansas educators have been recognized.

Alternating yearly between elementary and secondary educators, the 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. Past recipients have used their Awards to finance their children’s education or their own continuing education. Others have financed dream field trips, established scholarships and even funded the adoption of children.

To get regular updates on notifications, follow the #TeachForTheStars and #MilkenAward hashtags on Twitter and Instagram.

For information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit http://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/newsroom/media-kit or call MFF at (310) 570-4775.  Like the Awards at www.facebook.com/milkeneducatorawards, follow us at www.twitter.com/milken and watch the reaction videos at www.youtube.com/milkenaward.

For more information about the foundation, go to www.mff.org.

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