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Could a $25,000 Milken Educator Award Be Coming to a Great Educator Near You?

Milken Family Foundation sets off to surprise over 50 of America’s best teachers with national honor and over $1.3 million in unrestricted cash prizes

September 21, 2010

SANTA MONICA, CA (September 21, 2010)— In schools across the nation, exemplary teachers will receive the surprise of a lifetime this fall when they are honored with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award, one of education’s most prestigious and lucrative recognitions. For the first time in their careers, these unsung heroes will be heralded with a fanfare typically reserved for star performances by athletes and entertainers. Recipients are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved… and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future.

Hailed by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching,” what separates this Award from others is that the recipients have no idea that they will be honored. Not only is the entire selection process conducted in secret but so is the real purpose of the schoolwide assemblies when the Awards are presented.  As each educator’s name is called, thunderous applause and standing ovations erupt from students, colleagues and dignitaries. Media surround the Award-winning teacher to capture the excitement of this unforeseen celebration. In a moment’s time, these exceptional educators gain a significant financial prize and experience the unfamiliar but well-deserved acclaim and acknowledgment they rightly merit.

Our society’s most important profession is teaching as it informs all others,” said Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation.  “We created the Milken Educator Awards to proclaim in a very public way that greatness in education must be recognized and rewarded. It is a message intended for entire communities, policymakers, students who may be inspired to enter the profession, and for our nation’s K-12 educators themselves.” As the program’s motto extols, the future belongs to the educated.

The Awards story doesn’t end with the surprise notification. In the spring, new recipients receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to participate in the Milken Educator Forum, which brings together award-winning educators from across the nation to address innovative strategies for advancing teacher effectiveness. They are also invited to join the Milken Educator Network, a group of distinguished educators whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education.

In addition to their cash prizes, the recipients will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the Milken Educator Forum, a national gathering of award-winning educators to address innovative strategies for advancing teacher effectiveness. A highlight of the Forum will be the presentation of the $25,000 Milken Educator Awards at a recognition dinner and ceremony. They will also join the Milken Educator Network, a group of distinguished educators whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education.

“While the Milken Educator Award shines a spotlight on great teachers, it also serves as a beacon illuminating ever-expanding opportunities and new pathways of leadership,” said Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards and a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator. 

Since first presented in 1987 to a dozen California teachers, the Milken Educator Awards has grown to become the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program having honored more than 2,500 teachers, principals and specialists with over $62 million in individual, unrestricted $25,000 awards. The exponential impact of nearly 2,500 outstanding teachers has helped to reform American K-12 education. The Awards alternate each year between elementary and secondary educators. Each participating state department of education appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to review candidates that are sourced through a confidential selection process and recommend candidates to the Foundation.

Award Criteria:

Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school;

Exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom that provide models of excellence for the profession;

Individuals whose contributions to education are largely unheralded yet worthy of the spotlight;

Early- to mid-career educators who offer strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and

Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.

For more information about the Milken Educator Awards and the surprise notification events held across the nation, visit  mff.org or call the Foundation at (310) 570-4775.  You can follow the Milken Educator Awards at Twitter.com/milken, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/milkeneducatorawards, and at YouTube.com/milkenaward.

An education reformer for three decades, Lowell Milken created the Milken Educator Awards to recognize exemplary teachers and established TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement to generate more talented teachers, tapsystem.org.

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