Local Rocky Point teacher receives Milken Educator Award

PENDER COUNTY (WWAY) — On Tuesday at Rocky Point Elementary School, teacher Jennifer Barnette was the recipient of a prestigious award in North Carolina. Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has presented this award to certain teachers, which has also been referred to as the “Oscars of teaching” to some.

“I’m humbled to be able to say I’m a part of this group of excellent educators, so I guess it’s just believing the best about myself now too,” said Barnette.

The Milken Family Foundation, founded by Lowell Milken in California, has provided financial gain and public recognition for k-12 staff and teachers…

Barnette was one of this year’s lucky winners….and they traveled all the way from the other side of the United States to find her.

When asked about how she gets her students to listen and buy in to what she teaches, she explained it to us.

” A real family, friendly environment where everyone is welcome, everybody’s included. We talk about ways to be kind to each other; we talk about that even though everyone is different we all belong. so, I think that in order to help kids grow academically, you have to meet them socially and emotionally first.

Barnette upon receiving the award, gets a $25,0000 check that she can spend however she wants, a paid trip to the Milken Educator Awards forum in Los Angeles and joins the Milken Educator Network, which includes almost 3,000 other top-level teachers and specialists.

For Barnette, she just wants people to know how much she enjoys teaching and the tremendous amount of support she has received from her staff.