Press Releases
Phoenix Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Milken Educator Award
“Oscar of Teaching” Goes to Danielle Ferreira of Constitution Elementary School
February 14, 2013
A seemingly routine schoolwide assembly turned into the surprise of a lifetime when the Milken Family Foundation presented a Milken Educator Award to Dr. Danielle Ferreira, a master teacher at Constitution Elementary School in the Deer Valley Unified School District. One of education’s most prestigious recognitions, the Award, given by Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken, comes with a no-strings-attached cash prize of $25,000.
Among the leaders joining in the celebration were Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal, Phoenix Vice Mayor Bill Gates and Deer Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. James R. Veitenheimer.
“Our public education system is at the heart of America’s promise and is essential in safeguarding the American dream for future generations,” said Lowell Milken. “With research confirming that effective teachers represent the single most important school-related factor in raising student achievement, it is important to honor them, learn from them, and inspire more capable people to join the profession. Dr. Danielle Ferreira’s leadership in advancing students and teachers alike presents an excellent model to follow.”
With a Ph.D. in special education and eight published scholarly articles under her belt, Dr. Danielle Ferreira is uniquely qualified to shine in her role as a master teacher with TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement at Constitution Elementary School. Raised in a family of educators, Ferreira goes above and beyond for the practitioners in her school, even going to one of the new teacher’s homes to work on lesson plans with her.
Ferreira’s master teacher role allows her to work closely with faculty and pupils. As part of the school’s TAP Leadership Team, she helps drive professional development and schoolwide achievement alongside the administrators and fellow master and mentor teachers. Ferreira also maintains direct ties to the students as a fixture in the classroom. She models lessons, team-teaches, and helps field-test strategies with teachers and students. Findings are discussed in her weekly TAP “cluster” professional learning groups, and she facilitates honest conversations about what works and how everyone can perform better. As a result, teachers have made appreciable gains. An added dimension to Ferreira’s portfolio is her expertise with special education students, and her work with teachers on how to better serve this population has strengthened instructional effectiveness and student learning.
Student achievement at her school has been on the upswing for the past three years. According to Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS), the schoolwide percentage of kids proficient in math and reading has increased 13 percent each from 2010 to 2012.
Ferreira’s leadership in the profession—and in academia in general—cuts a broad swath. For one, she plays a major role in setting school goals and policies. She is a member of the district mentor co-teaching team, and has presented at the 2012 Annual National TAP Conference as well as various state-level conferences. At the university level, Ferreira educates undergraduate teacher candidates. Arizona State University often seeks her out to help support other special-area teachers, and she always makes herself available to peers seeking advice and support.
The Milken recognition is not intended as a lifetime achievement award. Recipients are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future. Milken Educators point to their Award as a pivotal milestone. Encompassed in the recognition is the responsibility to stretch their professional practices and leadership to even higher levels.
Hailed by Teacher magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching,” what separates this Award from others is that the recipients have no idea that they will be honored. Not only is the entire selection process confidential, but so is the real purpose of the schoolwide assemblies where the Awards are presented. The Awards story doesn’t end with the surprise notification. New recipients are invited to join the Milken Educator Network, a group of distinguished educators whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education.
MFF has been recognizing and rewarding the noble profession of teaching through the Milken Educator Awards for 26 years. Since first presented to a dozen California teachers, the Awards have honored more than 2,500 K–12 teachers, principals and specialists with over $63 million in individual, unrestricted $25,000 awards. More than $135 million in funding has been devoted to the overall program, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout the recipients’ careers in education. The exponential impact of Milken Educators is helping to improve American K–12 education.
The Awards alternates yearly between elementary and secondary educators. Each participating state department of education appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to review candidates that are sourced through a confidential selection process and recommend candidates to the Foundation.
Award Criteria:
Candidates for the Milken Educator Awards are selected on the basis of all 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;
- Individuals whose contributions to education are largely unheralded yet worthy of the spotlight;
- Early- to mid-career educators who offer strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and
- Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
View the surprise of a lifetime that awaits up to 40 of America’s best educators: http://www.mff.org/newsroom/news.taf?page=videos&init=&dateYear=&vid=1200
For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit http://www.mff.org or call the Foundation at (310) 570-4775. Connect with the Foundation at www.twitter.com/milken, www.facebook.com/milkeneducatorawards and at www.youtube.com/milkenaward.
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Contact: Jana Rausch
(310) 435-9259 cell
(310) 570-4774 office
jrausch@mff.org