Laura Hill, a fourth-grade teacher from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, has won the 2010 Milken Educator Award for Louisiana, an honor that comes with a $25,000 cash prize.

Hill, who teaches at Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School, was given the award Monday, November 1, at an all-school assembly.

Known as “The Oscar of Teaching,” the award provides public recognition and financial rewards to elementary and secondary school educators to attract, retain and motivate talented people.

Unlike most teacher award programs, the Milken Educator Awards has no formal nomination or application process. Every participating state’s department of education appoints an independent blue ribbon committee to recommend candidates according to strict criteria. Final selections are made by the Milken Family Foundation.

Hill is an exceptional teacher. During the last school year, all of the fourth graders in her home room passed the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) tests and went on to fifth grade.

 “We are extremely proud of Ms. Hill’s accomplishment. This is an outstanding award for her students, school and the district. But most importantly, it is a recognition of the hard work and great teaching that is happening in her classroom,” said School System Superintendent John Dilworth.

The criteria for the selection of outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals as Milken Educators includes:

•     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;
•     individuals whose contributions to education are largely unheralded yet worthy of the spotlight;
•     early- to mid-career educators who offer strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and
•     an engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.

The Milken Educator Award is the nation’s pre-eminent teacher recognition program, having honored more than 2,400 K-12 teachers, principals and specialists coast to coast with more than $60 million in individual, unrestricted $25,000 awards. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future.