Spotlight: Amanda Duplessy (MS '24)

Mississippi Milken Educator Amanda Duplessy (MS ‘24) is a K-5 ELA instructional support specialist and previous fifth grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School. Duplessy’s commitment to student success shines through in every lesson. By tailoring her curriculum to meet individual needs and fostering leadership in both students and teachers, she inspires academic growth and community engagement. Duplessy received a Milken Educator Award on January 29, 2025.

Milken Family Foundation: How did you feel at your Milken Educator Award notification?

At my Award notification I was definitely in shock and overwhelmed with gratitude. I am so grateful for all the pictures and videos. In the moment I was just going through the motions. I didn’t really have time to take it all in until days later and even then it took a bit to really fully acknowledge all that had happened. 

MFF: How did students respond to your Milken Award?

My students were ecstatic. I remember them coming back to school the next day telling me I had “gone viral.” They all had so many questions about the experience and desperately wanted to know how I was going to spend the money. 

MFF: What made you want to pursue a career in education?

From the time I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I grew up playing school in the shop in my backyard. I was the student who always took home the old textbooks at the end of the school year. I had a whole collection my childhood friend and I would use to “teach” our students from. I remember being so excited when she was given an old wooden student desk that we were able to add to our “school room.” I had amazing teachers growing up and always knew I wanted to make teaching look as effortless as they made it seem.

MFF: Your creative exercises like “Writing Boot Camp” have made learning deeply engaging for students. What inspires you to design these immersive experiences?

A few years ago I was introduced to a wonderful colleague who is now a dear friend. She really pushed me to think differently about teaching. I was always confident in what I was teaching and knew the content, but she had a different style of teaching. She pushed me outside my comfort zone. We began planning lessons together, and it was truly magical how we fed off of each other’s strengths. Over time, I began to think about lessons differently. After attending a conference and learning how easy room transformations could be, I decided to give it a go. I found that not only were the kids excited to learn, but I was excited to teach. After that, I started looking for opportunities to add immersive experiences.

MFF: As a mentor, PLC leader, and student teacher supervisor, you play a major role in shaping both student and educator success. How do you approach supporting fellow teachers while continuing to grow and challenge yourself?

I’ve always been a doer and a fixer. I love to help my peers think through challenges and come up with ways to solve problems. If I don’t have an answer, I’ll gladly take a deep dive into reading and learning as much as I can. As educators, we model what it means to be lifelong learners, and I try to model that with my peers and students. 

MFF: What does “success” look like for you and your students in life?

Success for me and my students looks like not giving up when things get hard. I tell my students often that it is okay for something to be hard. It is in the hard that learning happens. My goal for them and myself is to keep learning and growing despite what circumstances we might find ourselves in.

MFF: Who are your role models in teaching?

I was blessed with many amazing teachers, but I had a colleague professor, Dr. Janet Boyce, who probably had the greatest impact on me. To this day, I can still hear some of the phrases she would say to us when modeling how to teach comprehension strategies. She was a wealth of knowledge and while I was attentive in her class, I would love to go back and soak up all the bits that I missed or have forgotten. 

MFF: How do you hope to be remembered by your students?

I hope they remember me as someone who believed in them and advocated for them.

MFF: Are you working on any interesting initiatives or new projects these days? Is there anything else you want to share about your school?

This school year I have left my role as a classroom teacher and am working as our district’s K-5 ELA instructional support specialist. I hope to share my love of literacy with teachers throughout my district and support them in reaching their own professional goals.