Jefferson Parish Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Milken Educator Award
SANTA MONICA, Ca (press release) — On Nov. 4, CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Joshua Barnett, surprised Jefferson Parish teacher Sarah Watkins with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award.
“What a gift to have the aptitude and capacity to inspire leadership in others the way Sarah Watkins does at Stella Worley,” said Dr. Barnett, who represented the Milken Family Foundation at the Stella Worley Middle School assembly. “Her exemplary dedication to continuous improvement has made a positive impact on her school, community, and state. I look forward to seeing Sarah shine on a national scale as a member of the Milken Educator Network.”
That morning, students, colleagues, dignitaries and media gathered at the assembly to hear Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley speak about academic growth. Watkins, an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher, soon realized the assembly was really a celebration for her.
Watkins is Louisiana’s 54th recipient since the Pelican State joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 2001. The $25,000 cash prize can be used however she chooses.
Sarah Watkins Receives $25,000 Milken Educator Award by Milken Family Foundation
“Sarah’s commitment to student growth and teacher development is a powerful example of the academic excellence driving progress across our state,” said Dr. Brumley. “This national recognition reaffirms that Louisiana educators are among the best in the country.”
The foundation shares that the award has no formal application or nomination process. Outstanding K-12 educators are sought out 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 $25,000 Milken Educator Award.
Watkins joins a national network of over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the awards’ nearly 40-year history.
More About Sarah Watkins
Through the school’s partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, Watkins serves as a mentor teacher on the instructional leadership team. She coaches teachers, models lessons, observes classrooms and contributes to a culture of collaboration. Her practices are used as a model for training teachers throughout the state on the Louisiana Educator Advancement and Development System. Her classroom is also used as an example across the district: she leads professional development, hosts site visits for principals and records her coaching sessions for feedback. Additionally, Watkins is the school’s technology coordinator and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports co-coordinator, facilitates the principal’s council and helped implement the new Guidebooks 3.0 curriculum.
Outside of class, Watkins tutors students, attends games and extracurriculars, works concession stands, dresses for spirit week and helps organize teacher appreciation events. She is the Title I parent and family engagement coordinator, as well as a committee member for student of the year selection, fundraising and student life, where she plans the eighth-grade move-up ceremony, field experiences, homecoming and more. Watkins earned a Bachelor of Arts in secondary English education from Dillard University in 2009.
