NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Jan. 11, 2024
Three Mississippi teachers receive $25,000 national Milken Educator Award
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education congratulates three Mississippi teachers who were recently surprised with a national Milken Educator Award that includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.
Jennifer Hite, a fifth-grade science teacher at Pearl Upper Elementary, and Kristien “Krissy” Long, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Neshoba Central Elementary, received the awards during assemblies at their respective schools Jan. 10. Anna Katherine Davis, a math teacher at Houston High School, received her award today.
The Milken Educator Award is a national honor recognizing exceptional educators for excellence and innovation in education. Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has granted the awards to educators annually. Educators cannot apply to receive the award.
Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Raymond Morgigno and Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop presented the surprise awards to each teacher during school assemblies students and staff thought were being held to celebrate local school achievement.
Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the awards will honor up to 75 recipients across the country in 2023-24 as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s Journey to the 3,000th Milken Educator. 2023-24 will reach $75 million in individual financial prizes spanning the length of the initiative and more than $144 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession and inspiring young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.
In addition to the cash prize, recipients will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles this June. Photos and videos of each teacher receiving the awards can be viewed at milkeneducatorawards.org.
Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.
Colleagues and visiting dignitaries congratulate Anna Katherine Davis on her Milken Educator Award. From left, Stephanie Bishop, vice president of the Milken Educator Awards; Mississippi Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Raymond C. Morgigno; Houston High School Principal Zane Thomas; recipient Anna Katherine Davis (MS '23); Mississippi Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning Education Specialist Sandra Hilliard; and Chickasaw County School District Superintendent John Ellison.
Fifth grade math and science teacher Krissy Long gets a hand holding her oversized Milken Educator Award check from colleagues and guests. From left, Mississippi Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Raymond C. Morgigno; Neshoba County School District Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services and Personnel Dr. Penny Sistrunk; Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop; recipient Krissy Long (MS '23); Kathryn Daniels (MS '19); Mississippi Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning Education Specialist Sandra Hilliard; Neshoba Central Elementary Principal Tiffany Plott; and Neshoba Central School District Superintendent Josh Perkins.
Jennifer Hite holds her $25,000 Milken Educator Award check along with colleagues and visiting dignitaries. From left, Mississippi Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Raymond C. Morgigno; Stephanie Bishop, vice president of the Milken Educator Awards; Pearl Public School District Superintendent Chris Chism; recipient Jennifer Hite (MS '23); Pearl Upper Elementary Principal Gavin Gill; and Mississippi Department of Education Office of Teaching and Learning Education Specialist Sandra Hilliard.
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