Press Releases
Surprise! New York City Teacher Receives $25,000 National Milken Educator Award
Joining in the presentation were NYC Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and NY Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Higher Education John D’Agati
March 1, 2012
New York City, NY (March 1, 2012)—A seemingly routine schoolwide assembly turned into the surprise of a lifetime when the Milken Family Foundation (MFF) honored—and stunned—Rafal Olechowski, an English and Language teacher at Townsend Harris High School in Flushing, with a Milken Educator Award. One of education’s most prestigious recognitions, the Award presented by Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of Milken Educator Awards, comes with a no-strings-attached cash prize of $25,000.
Among the many education leaders offering congratulations were Queens High Schools Superintendent Juan Mendez, Superintendent Community School District Two Mariano Guzman, Children First Network 201 Leader Jie Zhang, Cluster 2 Leader Charles Amundsen, and Queens High Schools UFT Representative James Vasquez.
This year marks MFF’s 25th anniversary recognizing and rewarding America’s top teachers with what Teacher Magazine deems “the Oscars of Teaching.” The Awards program was conceived by Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken to recognize the importance of outstanding educators and encourage talented young people to enter the teaching profession. Unlike most teaching awards, the Milken Educator Awards has no formal nomination or application process. Each year exceptional teachers, principals and specialists—recommended without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education—are surprised with the news of their awards.
"Our public education system is at the heart of America’s promise and is essential in safeguarding the American dream for future generations. With research confirming that an effective teacher is the single most important school-related factor in raising student achievement, it is clear to see the critical role that outstanding teachers play in shaping our country,” said Lowell Milken. “We created the Milken Educator Awards to proclaim in a very public way that greatness in education must be recognized and rewarded. As the program’s motto extols, ‘the future belongs to the educated.’ Rafal Olechowski is an education game-changer who empowers students and teachers to exceed their own expectations of what is possible. He is an inspiration and example for communities, policymakers, and students who may be inspired to enter the profession, and for all of our nation’s K-12 educators."
Olechowski’s passion for literature and the broader humanities is reflected in his instructional methods as well, using close reading literary analysis, a “words on walls” strategy, and a white board to demonstrate parallel trends such as those connecting Romantic art and poetry. His classroom may be classified as “reading,” but beyond its walls, students engage in a world connecting literature, art, music and history.
Whether students have spirited discussions about the material or incorporate technology to create 3-D book jackets, each is challenged to make the words jump off the page and come to life. One-hundred percent of Olechowski’s students passed the New York State Regents Exam in English, with 90 percent earning mastery or higher. The school as a whole has benefited from Okechowski’s talents. He transformed the student literary magazine into an award-winning publication, and advises the MALContents (Music, Art, Literature) student book club. In addition, he mentors teachers and participates in professional development for the Common Core Standards.
Olechowski enjoys infusing his students’ and fellow faculty’s learning experiences with the cultural richness of New York. He established relationships with the 92nd Street Y, as well as the Theater Development Fund’s (TDF) Open Doors mentoring program, which pairs high school students with theater and dance professionals. Believing that teachers are lifelong learners, he led a faculty field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to explore interdisciplinary opportunities for creating student projects.
The Milken Educator 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.
Since first presented to a dozen California teachers, the Milken Educator Awards program has grown to become the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program having honored more than 2,500 teachers, principals and specialists with over $63 million in individual, unrestricted $25,000 awards. More than $135 million has been devoted to the overall program, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout the recipients’ careers in education. The exponential impact of the more than 2,500 outstanding teachers has helped to reform American K-12 education. The Milken 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 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.
For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit MFF.org or call the Foundation at (310) 570-4775. You can follow the Foundation at Twitter.com/Milken, YouTube.com/MilkenAward and Facebook.com/MilkenEducatorAwards. Take a peek at the surprise of a lifetime that awaits up to 40 of America’s best educators.
An education reformer for three decades, Lowell Milken created the Milken Educator Awards to recognize exemplary teachers and established TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement to generate more talented teachers, TapSystem.org. Lowell Milken recently provided the founding gift for the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. For more information about Lowell visit LowellMilken.com.
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