Lake Carolina Elementary School teacher wins national educator award
Lake Carolina Elementary School fourth grade teacher Heather Bass got the surprise of her professional life Thursday when she learned she had won the prestigious Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. The honor includes a $25,000 prize.
State Superintedent of Education Jim Rex and award winner Heather Bass
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State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex made the surprise announcement during an assembly at Lake Carolina Elementary Thursday. Bass had no idea she was being considered for the award. She is the fifth Richland School District Two teacher to win the award.
Bass said she was familiar with the foundation and award, but never thought she would be chosen.
"It's that group you hope to join, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would happen to me," Bass said.
Dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were created in 1985 to reward, retain and attract top professionals to the nation’s schools. About 80 unsuspecting educators will recieve the awards.
Heather Bass' students hold up signs showing the amount of her prize
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"I think that teachers are extraordinary anyway, but those who are really exceptional often don't receive recognition for their contributions. To have a public affirmation like this is rare in our profession," said Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner.
"Heather Bass represents the very best of our profession," Rex said. "She is a champion of young people and an ambassador for education. It was an awesome feeling to see her reaction today as she was recognized for the unique contributions she makes every day."
Bass had taught third, fourth and fifth grade. She has been a teacher at Lake Carolina since it opened in 2001. Last year, 90 percent of her students met their growth targets for MAP mathematics, and Bass’s PACT scores are consistently among the highest in the state.
Bass is National Board-Certified as a middle childhood generalist, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in education from the University of South Carolina and holds a master of arts in teaching.
Educators are recommended for this prestigious honor without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education. Recipients of the Milken Educator Awards are selected on the basis of numerous criteria, including: outstanding instructional practices, strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership and engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community at-large.
The Milken National Educator Awards, created by Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken, are the nation’s largest teacher recognition program. Since the program’s inception, more than 2,300 educators from 48 states have been recognized with more than $60 million in cash awards.
Past winners and years:
| Clavis Anderson |
1998 |
| David Foster |
1994 |
| Dr. James Ann Lynch |
1996 |
| Malinda Taylor |
2001 |
Posted October 16, 2008
For more information contact triley@richland2.org or itate@richland2.org