Highland Parks Music Man. The key to his success," He is known for presenting information in different ways to meet the individual preferences of students."

Congratulations, nice see good news and recognition to a teacher, nice job!

I wonder what one of the top stock brokers would say if he won an award, and they handed him a check for $25,000?

Nice job sir - I hope all teachers try as hard as you.

You have to love a guy who says it's too much fun in the classroom to go on to administration. I just cringe everytime an award winning educator decides to use those good references to get into a principal or superintendent program, or worse yet, gets cornered into some curriculum writing or mentoring job. Bottom line in teaching, the best of the best should keep working with the kids. Wish we had more programs that honored exciting young teachers.

it's nice that the Milkens are giving back a small percentage of the millions of dollars they scam out of taxpayers for their questionable for-profit education programs. Education, while so important to our society, is also a big money-making business to greedy profiteers who like to con us. Be watchful of these con-artists. These $25,000 awards are given randomly based on little criteria and are not applied for by teachers. This is a gimmick used to distract while they sell your school a bad deal.

Hindemith2, your comment about the Milkens scamming led me to research just a little. It seems they do have a checkered past. It also seems like they've done quite a bit of good work in this world. What to conclude from this? I'm not sure. Trying to give back after making mistakes? Trying to pull the wool over the world's eyes to be forgiven of past follies? You seem to suggest that their crimes continue. I'll be looking for that information. I'm more curious about your comment about the award given randomly based on little criteria...are you suggesting that this teacher's name was picked out of a hat? Do you have first-hand knowledge of the selection process? Do you know this teacher? Was he scammed? Should he not accept the award? Should we not award teachers who work extra hard so that students can thrive? Would you rather that this award be given to a teacher who put on a good show by applying for the award themselves and then politicking in order to be chosen? There are so many ways that our education system suffers at the hands of politicians who think they can legislate education without classroom knowledge, and a general public who sometimes vilify more taxes intended for our students to get a better education. Maybe the way the Milken Foundation goes about attempting to correct a flawed system isn't exactly the right way, but it looks to me like they are trying. I appreciate your skepticism at their methods, but be careful that you aren't tearing down our educators in the process (I'm guessing that wasn't your intent, but it's how it came across). There are so, so, so many educators who are equally as deserving as this teacher - it's too bad there aren't more foundations like this.