Alum wins prestigious Milken Educator Award
IU Bloomington graduate takes $25,000 prize
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Indiana Department of Education announced Monday morning that Chris Kates, BS'00, is the winner of the prestigious Milken Educator Award. The Millken Family Foundation presented Kates with a $25,000 check in a surprise ceremony at Avon Intermediate School East. The Indianapolis Star featured Kates' award, as did WTHR-TV.Below is the news release issued by the Indiana Department of Education.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, November 10, 2008
The life of one Indianapolis educator changed dramatically this morning when he became $25,000 richer. Chris Kates, fifth-grade teacher at Avon Intermediate School East in Avon, received a $25,000 National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation (MFF) in a surprise schoolwide assembly hosted by Dr. Suellen Reed, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Dr. Jane Foley, Senior Vice President of the Milken Family Foundation.
“We are proud to recognize this outstanding Hoosier educator for his achievements,” Reed said. “Chris Kates is an excellent example of how dedicated school professionals can truly make a difference by ensuring our students succeed.”
Kates has eight years of experience as a teacher.
Avon Intermediate School East’s principal Brian Scott said about Kates, “It is impossible to walk into Mr. Kates’ classroom and not see the students engaged in learning.”
Called the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were conceived by Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder, to recognize the importance of outstanding educators and encourage talented young people to enter teaching. Indiana has received $1.3 million in awards from the MFF over the past 17 years.
Active in 48 states and the District of Columbia, the Milken Educator Awards have grown to become the nation’s largest teacher recognition program. Since 1987, over $60 million has been awarded to more than 2,300 educators. Each recipient receives a $25,000 check in the spring at an awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, Calif., during a professional development conference with new and past winners. Recipients are able to use the money any way they choose.
“Nothing in America’s K-12 schools has more influence on student learning than the quality of the classroom teacher,” Lowell Milken said. “Highly effective teachers are the bedrock in constructing a world-class education system that meets our challenges and opportunities in this 21st century. It is a national imperative that we attract, retain and motivate people of talent to the profession. America’s prosperity depends on it.”
Candidates for the Milken Educator Awards are selected on the basis of the following 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;
- Strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and
- Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
