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The Awards
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards provide recognition and unrestricted financial awards of $25,000 each to exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other specialists who are furthering excellence in our nation’s schools. This year, a total of $2.5 million in Awards will be presented to some of America’s finest K-12 educators. The largest teacher recognition program in the U.S., the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards were created to reward, retain and attract the highest quality K-12 educators to the profession. Each Milken Educator receives an unrestricted financial award of $25,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to participate in the annual Milken National Education Conference in April, 2003.

History
The Milken Educator Awards program was established by the Milken Family Foundation in 1985. The first Awards were presented in 1987. Iowa joined the Milken Educator Awards Program in 1993.

National Statistics
• 100 $25,000 new Milken Educator Awards in 46 states
• Program established by the Milken Family Foundation in 1985
• 1,777 Milken Educator Award recipients since inception
• Over $44 million in awards since inception

Iowa Statistics

• $50,000 to be awarded in Iowa
• 2 Iowa recipients in 2002
• 39 recipients since program began in Iowa
• $975,000 awarded in Iowa since program began

16th Annual National Notifications

During the 16th annual National Notifications, 100 exceptional teachers, principals and specialists – recommended without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education – will be surprised by the news of their $25,000 Awards, which can be used however they choose. Typically, these announcements are made during emotional, all-school assemblies throughout the country, attended by students, educators, local and state officials and media.

Milken Educator Network

The Milken Educator Network is a voluntary association of nearly 2,000 Milken Educators and other exemplary educators and business leaders from across the country who are dedicated to improving teacher quality and utilizing research and expertise to shape education policy at state and local levels.

Milken National Education Conference

A gathering of educators, policymakers and business leaders working to improve the state of American education, the Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference has been held annually in Los Angeles since 1990. The Conference includes professional development activities and is highlighted by the celebration of the new Milken Educators and the presentation of their $25,000 award checks.

Milken Family Foundation

The Milken Family Foundation was established in 1982 to discover and advance inventive and effective ways of helping people help themselves and those around them lead productive and satisfying lives. The Santa Monica, California-based foundation advances this mission primarily through its work in education and medical research.

Contacts

Foundation
Milken Family Foundation
1250 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310)998-3088

Stephanie Germeraad

(310) 998-2878
sgermeraad@mff.org

Abbi Hertz
(310) 998-3026
ahertz@mff.org

News

Press Releases

College Community Principal Receives $25,000 Milken Award

Des Moines, October 15, 2002) – A College Community educator today received a 2002 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. Ying Ying Chen, Prairie Crest principal, learned of the honor during a surprise announcement made in person by Governor Thomas J. Vilsack and Jane Foley of the Milken Family Foundation. The Milken Educator honor carries with it a $25,000 financial award.

icon College Community Principal Receives Milken Award

West Des Moines Teacher Receives $25,000 Milken Award

(Des Moines, October 15, 2002) – A West Des Moines school teacher today received a 2002 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. Paula Olson, a first grade teacher at Phenix Elementary teacher, learned of the honor during a surprise announcement made in person by Governor Thomas J. Vilsack and Jane Foley of the Milken Family Foundation. The Milken Educator honor carries with it a $25,000 financial award.

icon WDSM Teacher Receives Milken Award

Honorees

Name Year District School
Ying Ying Chen 2002 College Community Prairie Crest Elementary
Paula Olson 2002 West Des Moines Phenix Elementary
Thomas Paulsen 2001 Carroll Carroll High School
Gail Wortmann 2001 Ottumwa Ottumwa High School
Denise Carlson 2000 Gilbert Gilbert Elementary School
Kari Ringgenberg-Pingel 2000 Pella
Jefferson Elementary School
Roger Wilcox 2000 Waverly West Cedar Elementary School
Susan Gnagy 1999 Elkader Central Community High School
Sue Lynn Pettit 1999 Waterloo Central Middle School
Sara Pralle 1999 Latimer CAL-Dows High School
Denny Wulf 1999 Norwalk Norwalk Middle School
Janis Brendeland 1998 Nevada Central Elementary School
Judith Brueggeman 1998 Harris Harris-Lake Park Elementary
Juli Goerend 1998 Fayette Fayette Elementary School
Tim Tutt 1998 Des Moines Hanawalt Elementary School
Sharon Fisher 1997 Des Moines North High School
Annette Hagelberg 1997 Dubuque Wahlert High School
Pete Hathaway 1997 Sioux City Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Jerry Waugh 1997 Grundy Center Grundy Center Community Schools
Judy Christiansen 1996 Harlan West Ridge Elementary School
Jim Ehmen 1996 Janesville Janesville Consolidated Schools
Marie Hawkins 1996 Retired Elementary School Special Education Teacher
Ken Krumwiede 1996 Davenport Truman Elementary School
Jill Anderson 1995 Norwalk Norwalk Middle School
Shannon C’de Baca 1995 Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson High School
Don Moody 1995 Retired High School Principal
Keith Robinson 1995 Mapleton Maple Valley-Anthon Oto H.S.
Mary Wilcynski, Ph.D. 1995 Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School
Glenn Connor 1994 NA Beiser Inc.
Ken Esveld 1994 Eldora Eldora-New Providence Elementary
Joan McShane 1994 Davenport Jefferson Elementary School
Susie Olesen 1994 Greenfield Nodaway Valley C.S.D.
Diane Weitz 1994 Retired Elementary School Principal
Tom Fish 1993 Norwalk Norwalk Community Schools
Ron Fox 1993 Council Bluffs Lewis Central High School
Darlene Hughes 1993 Wilton Wilton Jr/Sr High School
Hector Ibarra 1993 West Branch West Branch Middle School
Nancy Mounts 1993 Sioux City Sioux City School District
Elaine Smith-Bright 1993 NA School Administrators of Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question:  What is a Milken Educator Award?
Answer:  The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award provides public recognition and an unrestricted financial prize of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals who are furthering excellence in education.

Question:  How are Milken Educators selected?
Answer:  Based on guidelines established by the Milken Family Foundation (see next FAQ), the department of education in each of the 46 participating states appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to recommend candidates for selection to the Foundation. There is no nomination or application procedure for the Award.

Question:  What are the criteria for selection?
Answer: 
• Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by outstanding instructional practices in the classroom, school and profession.

• Outstanding accomplishments and strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership.

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

Question:  How are the Awards announced?
Answer:  The main element is surprise! Each fall newly selected recipients are taken completely by surprise at school-wide assemblies. With an entourage of media and distinguished officials, a Foundation representative or the state chief of education typically notifies the recipient, often accompanied by the governor and other state leaders.

Question:  Are the recipients required to do anything specific with their monetary awards?
Answer:  Milken Educators may use their unrestricted $25,000 Award in any way they wish. A Foundation survey found that the largest number of past recipients have used their Award to finance their children’s education or their own continuing education. Others have bought equipment for their schools, funded scholarships for their students and, even financed the adoption of their children.

Question:  When do the recipients receive their monetary prize?
Answer:  Recipients are notified of the Award in the fall. The following April, they participate in the Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference in Los Angeles, culminating in an awards ceremony at which recipients receive their $25,000 checks. At the 2003 Conference, 100 Milken Educators will receive awards totaling $2.5 million.

Question:  Are both elementary and secondary school educators selected each year?
Answer:  The Award alternates each year between elementary and secondary educators except in those states that are new to the program. These new states are allowed to select both elementary and secondary educators in their first year.

Question:  What other benefits besides the $25,000 do recipients receive?
Answer: 
• Professional development opportunities and public recognition at Notification events and the annual Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference;

• Membership in state and national networks of nearly 2,000 distinguished educators, including the Milken Educator listserve;

• Opportunity to participate in ongoing projects like the Milken Family Foundation Festival for Youth.

Question:  Why does the program put such an emphasis on teacher quality?
Answer:  Recognizing and rewarding quality educators has been a hallmark of the Milken Educator Awards program since its inception. However, as the lack of advancement opportunities drives classroom teachers out of the profession and fewer young people pursue a career in education, the nation faces a potentially catastrophic shortage of quality classroom teachers. Over the next 10 years, schools will need to hire over two million new teachers, but will come up short by more than a third. Studies show that only one in 10 college-bound high school students are strongly interested in teaching as a career, due in part to competition from the private sector, which is having a particularly damaging effect on the supply of science and math teachers.

In 1999, Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder and Chair Lowell Milken introduced the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), a comprehensive strategy for restructuring the education profession to attract, retain and motivate quality teachers. TAP works by integrating five key principles: multiple career paths; broad market-driven compensation; performance-based accountability; on-going, applied professional growth; and expanded supply of high quality teachers. TAP is currently being implemented in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, South Carolina and in Indiana by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Question:  What are the other areas of interest of the Milken Family Foundation?
Answer:  The Milken Family Foundation was established in 1982 to discover and advance inventive ways of helping people help themselves and those around them lead productive and satisfying lives. The Santa Monica, California-based foundation advances this mission primarily through its work in medical research and education. Milken Family Foundation initiatives include:

• American Epilepsy Society/Milken Family Foundation Epilepsy Research Award, Grant & Fellowship Program
• Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate (CaP CURE)
• Festival for Youth community service program
• Jewish Educator Awards
• Mike’s Math Club
• Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
• Milken Institute, an economic think tank focusing on jobs and capital issues
• Milken Scholars program
• Teacher Advancement Program (TAP)

Question:  Does the Milken Family Foundation have a Web site?
Answer:  Yes -- http://www.mff.org. For additional questions, call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 998-3088.

Links

Milken Family Foundation 
  (http://www.mff.org/index.taf)


Contact:
Rosanne Malek, Consultant
515-281-3199
rosanne.malek@iowa.gov

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 22 October 2007 )