Beaumont Middle School teacher receives $25,000

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – It’s called the “Oscars of Teaching” but it wasn’t a gold statue one Lexington teacher got Tuesday morning – it was a check for $25,000.

Brooke Powers, a seventh-grade math teacher at Beaumont Middle School in Lexington, was presented with the Milken Educator Award at a surprise assembly. She is the only Milken Award winner from Kentucky this year, and is among the 44 honorees for 2017-18.

The Milken Educator Award is called the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program and honorees are selected in early to mid-career for “what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish,” according to the Milken Family Foundation.

Milken Family Foundation Senior Program Administrator Greg Gallagher and State Commissioner of Education Stephen L. Pruitt presented Powers with the award.

According to the Milken Family Foundation, creative lesson plans and hands-on teaching are hallmarks of Powers’ classroom practices. The foundation says Powers has a reputation for being able to move any student at any level forward, with her students averaging 1.5 years of growth on MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments. It says students who are struggling show two years’ growth and on the 2015 K-PREP state assessments, 75% of her students reached Proficient or Distinguished levels.

She is also known to use iPads, a Smart Board, cell phones, and even Cheetos to teach students math concepts. The foundation says Powers created “Math Night” at the school, an event that has become a favorite with Beaumont families.

“Brooke helps her students find the joy in math and their place in the world by giving them the tools they need to solve problems in life, and not just math problems,” said Greg Gallagher. “Tapping into the power of analytical thinking and new technology, while also maintaining a personal touch that cherishes each student as an individual, is part of what powers Brooke’s ability to help students see their futures right before their eyes. We proudly welcome her as a Milken Educator Award winner.”

Powers will meet with other Milken Educator Award winners in Washington, D.C. in March.

For more information about Brooke Powers, click here
For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, click here