A seemingly routine schoolwide assembly turned into the surprise of a lifetime when the Milken Family Foundation (MFF) honored—and stunned—Cecilio Fowler, a math teacher at Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, with a Milken Educator Award. Presented by Dr. Jane Foley, Senior Vice President of Milken Educator Awards, and Gerard Robinson, Florida Commissioner of Education, the Award comes with a no-strings-attached cash prize of $25,000.
This year marks MFF’s 25th anniversary recognizing and rewarding America’s top teachers with what Teacher Magazine deemed “the Oscars of Teaching.” The Awards program was conceived by 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.’ Cecilio Fowler 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.”
Fowler, a former postal worker who held tenure in the juvenile justice system, is only into his second year at Evans High, but he is a natural pro. He opted to work in a challenging school because he felt he could make a meaningful difference in his students’ lives. His demonstration classroom is an archetype of efficiency and industriousness.
His students’ scores rose from 19 percent on target to 56 percent on target in fall and winter benchmark exams. At his previous school, he logged the highest learning gains in algebra, earning performance bonuses for surpassing the 70 percent mark. Fowler, who routinely welcomes his fellow teachers into his classroom, is the Great Beginnings trainer for new teacher induction/orientation at Evans High. Schooled in such collaborative strategies as Kagan, IB and AVID, he also served as a teacher mentor for the Alternative Certification Program and mentors pupils in math and non-academic activities.
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. Criteria used to select candidates for the Milken Educator Awards, include, 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, and an engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
