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The Next Level
The Milken Educator Awards are unique in the
realm of educational awards, and perhaps in the arena of awards in
general. Honored each
year at the Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference,
the
recipients of the Award are not simply congratulated and left to their
own
devices. In addition to
providing a generous financial honorarium as well as considerable
recognition,
the Foundation makes a concerted effort to keep its Award recipients
"in
the loop."
My
first experience of the Milken National Education Conference took place
in
1992, the year I was honored with the Milken Educator Award. My wife Patricia and I flew from
Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and we were whisked off to the Conference
headquarters. As I
waited in line to register, I remember hearing someone call "John
Snyder!" from across the lobby.
Who is it? I wondered.
Who knows me here in Tinsel Town? Turned out it was Wayne Sanstead,
state superintendent of public instruction from North Dakota, who
remembered me
from a few brief meetings fifteen years before. I was amazed.
That was the first of many
astonishing encounters that year, and in the years to come.
As I returned in various capacities over the years, I
watched the
Conference evolve. Panels
and presentations by major news, political, entertainment, and
education
personalities.
Conversations
with founders Michael and Lowell Milken—and their wonderful mother
Ferne—as if
I were chatting with a teacher in the next classroom. And every single year at the
Awards banquet, hearing another astounding performance by a young
student. It never
failed: singing, playing
the piano or the violin—it made no difference. The performances by these young
people were always at a level that brought tears to our eyes and the
audience
to its feet. Then came
the finale, when one by one we walked across that stage. It was that moment preserved
forever in time for each of us, as we realized that we were being
recognized as
being among America’s premier educators.
Our lives had moved to a new
level, and we would build on that realization to new levels of
excellence.
My own role in all this has also changed over the years. A recipient the first year, I
returned several times as a presenter in the instructional innovation
sessions. For a couple of
years, I coordinated follow-up groups for a couple of years, whose task
was to
begin a project at the Conference and to complete it online during the
following year. Then I
began to write accounts of the Conference for the Milken Educator
listserve so
that veteran Milken Educators across the country could relive the magic
of the
Conference in near-real-time. You are now witnessing the next
level of my involvement with the Milken National Education
Conference: as the official
blogger, I will
be posting accounts of the Conference sessions and soliciting your
feedback on this
new blog as the Conference progresses.
You may "lurk" if you prefer—simply
read what is taking place at the conference—but I encourage you to take
an
active part in the dialogue.
Gone are the days when we sequester ourselves in our
classrooms: now we are
invited to contribute to the educational universe as a breathing,
evolving
entity. Welcome to the
future of education.
Check in next week. Check in often.
For more information on the Conference—including the agenda, bios of Conference presenters, photos and videos—please visit the Milken Family Foundation Web site at www.mff.org
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Welcome to the Milken Family JSalzer05! You are in for an experience of a lifetime. Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! And remember, you've earned and you deserve the incredible week ahead of you!
As of 5/5/06 the Arizona Milken Network (AZMN) became an organized group, up and running full steam ahead with a mission statement and action items for 2006-07! Hooray! Thank you MFF, Jane Foley and many other Milken Educators within the network family for your support! Together we make a great team, for the children and education!
egainesaz04 -
As a 2005 Milken winner I am just preparing for this new chapter in my life. I am very excited to see where it leads. I am especially looking forward to meeting all of the conference participants and the members of the Foundation. This whole experience has truely been an incrediable honor. J. Salzer '05 (This is also my first time blogging. There must be a name for that.)
5/14/06 6:24 PM
After I was recognized, I was told that the award would change my life. I did not realize how true those words would be. Along with the award comes great responsibility. The award will give you a voice that you may not have had before. When the term "Milken Educator" is used, people listen, even more so than if it was EF Hutton!!! Use that voice for positive change, not only for your students, your school, your district, and your state, but for education in the US.
Three short months after accepting the award, I accepted the role of South Carolina Executive Director of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). That was five years ago, and as TAP grew and changed, so did my position. I am currently the vice president of TAP in charge of training. Over the course of the week, you will have the opportunity to learn more about this amazing reform conceived by Lowell Milken. Find me. If not, I am very likely to find you in order to "talk TAP". This incredible program has changed not only my career, but more importantly what is happening for thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of students around the country.
Again, congratulations!!! Gear up, relax, take it all in, and enjoy!
J. Todd White