Monroe County teacher receives $25,000 Milken award

Lora L. Batchelor Middle School’s Jeff Rudkin named Milken National Educator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Media Contacts:
Amber McGowan, 317.232.6615, amcgowan@doe.in.gov
Cathy Danyluk, 317.232.9150, cdanyluk@doe.in.gov

Usually at 1:30 p.m., Jeff Rudkin settles his students down after lunch to begin a lesson. Today, though, his day
was interrupted with a $25,000 surprise.

Rudkin, the seventh- and eighth-grade video production teacher at Bloomington’s Lora L. Batchelor Milddle School in the Monroe County Community School Corporation, was awarded the $25,000 National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation in a surprise all-school assembly held today by Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed and Dr. Jane Foley, Senior Vice President with the Milken Family Foundation.

“One can never overlook the impact an effective classroom teacher has in raising student achievement,” said Reed. “Jeff is a great example to educators and students across Indiana. We are proud to recognize Jeff for this outstanding achievement.”

Rudkin, a teacher with 15 years of experience, is one of two Hoosier educators to receive the award this year. Prior to receiving the Milken Educator Award, Rudkin also carries other honors including the Indiana University Armstrong Teacher Educator recognition and the T. James Crawford Teaching Excellence Award from the Bloomington North Rotary Club.

In a letter nominating Rudkin, Batchelor Middle School Principal Peggy Chambers said, “Jeff creates a culture for learning. He demonstrates genuine caring and respect for individual students and they, in turn, exhibit respect for him as an individual, beyond that for his role. He conducts himself in a manner that clearly demonstrates that the welfare of students is of primary concern.”

This is the fifteenth year for the Milken Family Foundation to present the National Educator Awards in Indiana. Each recipient receives a $25,000 check in the spring at an awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, Calif., during a professional development conference with new and past winners. Recipients are able to use the money any
way they choose.

Called the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, the Milken National Educator Awards were created by Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken to celebrate, elevate and activate the highest caliber professionals in our nation’s schools.

“Good teachers are the linchpin in our education system playing a critical role in propelling student learning,” said Lowell Milken. “Every child deserves to be in a classroom with a teacher who inspires, illustrates and advances excellence. It’s imperative that as a nation we recognize the importance of outstanding teachers and encourage young, talented people to choose teaching as a career.”

Active in 48 states and the District of Columbia, the Milken Educator Awards have grown to become the nation’s largest teacher recognition program. Since 1987, over $56 million has been awarded to more than 2,200 educators.

Celebrating the 21st anniversary, Milken representatives are presenting 100 new awards in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Predetermined criteria for Milken Educator Awards include all of the following:

Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by outstanding instructional practices in the classroom, school, and profession.
Outstanding accomplishment and strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership.
An engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues, and the community.

Local school superintendents identify candidates for evaluation and selection, but candidates are not aware that they are under consideration for the award. Names for consideration are referred to a Blue Ribbon panel appointed by Dr. Reed under guidelines established by the Milken Family Foundation. The process to identify candidates and select recipients is confidential.

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