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South Dakota High School English Teacher Surprised with a $25,000 Check and the Milken Educator Award
October 20, 2015
SANTA MONICA, CA – Gina Benz, an English teacher at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, didn’t walk the red carpet today, but she did receive a $25,000 award that Teacher magazine calls the “Oscar of Teaching.”
State Education Secretary Dr. Melody Schopp and Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, surprised Benz with a Milken Educator Award during a school assembly this morning.
“Teaching is an honorable profession,” said Schopp. “Every day across our state, thousands of educators quietly do this important work. Today is one of those special days when great teaching makes headlines.”
Foley says Benz is known for having a steady demeanor and is a model of character and integrity. “If a student is feeling depressed or is having a problem, they know she is there for them,” said Foley. “Gina is special for a myriad of reasons, and this is why she is being rewarded with a Milken Educator Award today.”
Students often line up to see Benz, a popular teacher who teaches AP Language and Composition as well as Foundations of Language and Composition, a class for struggling learners that includes ELL and special education students.
What makes Benz a standout educator is how deeply she cares about her students, her school and her community. She is known for getting results from her students, whether they be high-achievers or reluctant learners. The consummate professional, she can relate and respond to all types of learners.
“Gina has a real passion for teacher leadership,” said Roosevelt principal Tim Hazlett. “She takes it upon herself to support new teachers, personally and professionally. She’s committed to the overall function of the school. It’s almost a moral obligation for her. She has frank, yet professional conversations with staff and is committed to the profession.”
Growing up, Benz had limited academic opportunities in the rural South Dakota schools she attended. But perhaps becoming a teacher was in her genes. Her grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse on the South Dakota prairie. Now, Benz mentors new and veteran teachers and leaders in her school and district officials often seek her input. In addition to teaching English, she also helps students at Roosevelt prepare for the ACT.
Due to her influence, AP sections at the school have increased from one to four and from 25 to 100 students. Many students sign up for her AP class just so they can have her as a teacher. When she started teaching at the school, her students had a 50% pass rate on the AP exams. That has increased to a 76% pass rate – an impressive feat. The national average is 50% and every student scored at least a two on the exam. Some students at Roosevelt have passed enough AP exams to start college as a junior!
Benz was promoted to AP coordinator for the school, which means she is the administrator for a dozen or more AP classes and teachers. Her responsibility requires hiring and evaluating staff and programs. They have hundreds of AP tests in the spring and she successfully coordinates all of the testing, the readers, the proctors and the location.
Benz gets numerous friend requests from her former students on Facebook and alumni often return to visit. She is influential in the career choices of others. One of the school’s top students, for example, wants to be a high school English teacher to follow in her favorite teacher’s footsteps.
Benz received a Bachelor of Arts in English and secondary education from the University of Sioux Falls in 2000 and a Master of Arts from South Dakota State University in 2009.
The Milken Educator Awards was launched by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Recipients are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. Many have gone on to earn advanced degrees and be placed in prominent posts and on state and national education committees.
Alternating yearly between elementary and secondary educators, the Milken 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.
This year, MFF is launching #MyTeacherRocks Instagram campaign that encourages students to take selfies with their favorite teacher and describe in the caption why their teacher is special. To enter the contest, entrants are asked to follow @MilkenFamilyFdn on Instagram, post their selfie to their individual account and use the #MyTeacherRocks and #MilkenAward hashtags. The three photos with the most “likes” will be selected in November 2015, and February and April 2016.
To get regular updates on the surprise Milken Educator Award events, follow and use the #MilkenAward hashtag on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit www.MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call MFF at (310) 570-4772.
The Milken Educator Awards tour is on social media at:
https://instagram.com/milkenfamilyfdn
www.facebook.com/milkeneducatorawards
The Milken Educator Awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation, were launched in 1987. The Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school 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.