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Kansas City Teacher Lexcee Oddo Stunned: She is the Nation’s Next Milken Educator!

Prestigious award comes with $25,000 and all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

December 04, 2025

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was a day like no other for Turner Elementary School’s Lexcee Oddo when the Milken Family Foundation took the stage at today’s schoolwide assembly with a tremendous surprise: Oddo is the newest Milken Educator Award recipient! Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller was joined by Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson to present the Award to Oddo, an ELL teacher at Turner Elementary, in front of a cheering crowd of students, educators, dignitaries and media. 

“Lexcee Oddo leads with compassion, kindness and a commitment to help all English language learners excel at Turner Elementary School,” said Fuller, herself a 2017 Texas Milken Educator. “Drawing from her curriculum knowledge and classroom experience, Lexcee helps students shine by building confidence, a passion for learning, and a determination to achieve their goals. She is a valued teacher leader, mentor and trainer, and we are so proud to honor her today.” 

Oddo is the sole Kansas recipient in 2025-26 and the state’s 74th since Kansas joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1992. 

“Lexcee represents the best of Kansas education,” said Commissioner Watson. “She believes every child can learn and creates a classroom where high expectations and meaningful support help students thrive. Her leadership strengthens her colleagues, and the trust she builds with families reflects her deep commitment to every student’s success.” 

The Milken Family Foundation’s 2025-26 tour will honor 30 educators coast to coast—adding to the Milken Educator Network of more than 3,000 professionals nationwide. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken in 1987, the Milken Educator Awards represent America’s preeminent educator recognition initiative, inspiring educators, students and communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession. By the end of this season, more than $76 million in individual financial prizes and more than $146 million will have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall. 

Outstanding educators like Oddo are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. 

More About Lexcee Oddo 

Creative Approach to Education Yields Results for ELL Students: As an ELL teacher, Oddo creates a learning environment where multilingual learners are empowered to grow in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. She creates an environment where high expectations, individualized support and a deep sense of purpose drive student success. Oddo uses ongoing formative assessments to tailor instruction and provide interventions in real time, and plans lessons for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) paraprofessionals. Her culture of joy and collective efficacy has led to consistent student progress. Before assuming her role this school year, Oddo was a second grade teacher, helping her students meet and exceed growth expectations in reading and math, with many achieving more than a year’s worth of academic gains.

Highly Skilled Educator and Leader in her Field: Oddo is a proud member of the school’s leadership team, whose roles—among many—include supporting the school improvement plan, implementing professional development and guiding committee meetings. Always on the pulse of effective best practices, she supports colleagues through mentorship, coaching, and instructional modeling, and serves as a first-year “buddy” for new teachers. At the district level, she co-leads a cohort on curriculum implementation—equipping staff with tools and strategies to enhance student learning and engagement. Additionally, she is one of two teacher trainers on the science of reading.

Family-Focused, Whole-Brain Teacher: Dedicated to school families, Oddo regularly involves parents in her classroom, coordinates family engagement events, and attracts a 100% attendance rate for parent-teacher conferences. Oddo is a whole-brain teacher who values the academic strengths and social-emotional development of every student. She hosts student recognition assemblies and leads an after-school tutoring program that has led to every student meeting Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) goals.

Education: Oddo earned a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from Kansas State University in 2018 and a Master of Science in education administration from Emporia State University in 2023.

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits 

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators (AME) promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs. Milken MeetUps abound across the nation to deepen learning and connection and expand innovation in education.
• The honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., from June 12-14, 2026, where they will network with their new colleagues, as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders, about how to further develop their voice into roles that lead to real change.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.

Follow the tour and use the #MilkenAward hashtag on: YouTube (MilkenAward)| Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward)| X (Milken)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn). 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.  

About the Milken Educator Awards: “The Future Belongs to the Educated”
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 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. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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