Guest Post - Rewarding Teachers That Deserve it

As parents and their communities consider the available educational options for American children, questions arise. Many different alternative modes of education are presented by various individuals and groups who often promote a specific philosophy or agenda. One thing that all sides agree upon is that the individual who presents the educational material, be it a parent, a formal educator or another person, will have a great impact on the students' learning career.

Guiding children and preparing them to take their place in society, whether that involves pursuing further studies after high school or joining the work force, is probably the most important element of the educational system. Many observers however, both professional educators and community members, are frustrated by the high attrition rate among highly effective teachers.

There are a number of reasons that teachers choose to leave the teaching profession. Low wages, lack of administrative support, disputes with parents and a challenging student population are all reasons that may push a teacher to pursue a different career. Yet retaining qualified and successful educators is the core of the school system and plays a major role in ensuring that America's students will be ready to move on to thrive in their personal, educational and work lives after they graduate from high school.

Recognizing this reality, the Milken Family Foundation (MFF) presents yearly awards to superior teachers, the "unsung heroes" of America's educational system who, through their work, vision and creativity are able to inspire their students and prepare them for their future integration into American society, whether that involves further studies or joining the workforce. Lowell Milken who created these awards believes that America must recognize its outstanding educators if it hopes to enthuse these teachers, and others like them, to remain in the classroom.

MFF created the Milken Educator Award (MEA) with the goal of inspiring excellence in the field of education. The Award is granted to multiple K-12 educators annually. Recipients are generally mid-career-level educators who have demonstrated creative teaching techniques that produce concrete results in the form of high achievement testing results.

The MEA is more than a pat on the back -- many of the award recipients receive a cash prize of $25,000 which they can then use at their discretion to promote their educational goals.

The award sends a message to students, families and society that good educators are valued.

Guest Post: Lowell Milken Center - Finding Hidden Heroes

The Lowell Milken Center grew out of vision that that through diligence and proper use of resources it is possible to foster teaching excellence and high quality student performance in American schools. The Lowell Milken Center strives to change the world by developing projects that include the concepts of respect and understanding in the curriculum of American schools. Their innovative projects address various under-recognized aspects of the education system and work to change those elements as they encourage both students and teachers to spread respect, understanding and recognize the accomplishments of hidden heroes.

The nucleus of the Center began in 1992 when philanthropist Lowell Milken and educator Norman Conrad were looking for ways to collaborate on their shared goal of promoting a strong and vibrant American school system. Milken and Conrad agreed that educational projects that stimulated students to think and produce quality research were vital to promoting excellence in education and for the spreading of tolerance and respect. In 2007 they established the Lowell Milken Center (website: www.lowellmilkencenter.org) from where additional programs could be launched into America's schools.

Individual students as well as groups of students are invited to develop their project with the Lowell Milken Center. The projects may include a documentary, performance, website, exhibit or essay which focus on unsung heroes. Students are required to keep records of their research which should include a thesis, data analysis, project outline and research involving both primary and secondary resources.

One of the Center's first projects, a student-based research assignment, morphed into the acclaimed Lowell Milken Center Discovery Awards. The Discovery Awards are a pioneering innovation in which students from around the United States are invited to develop quality projects that focus attention on "unsung heroes." Prizes are awarded for these endeavors. To date the project has reached over 625,000 American students and produced numerous additional projects which may then be studied by other students and teachers.