Pender County elementary school teacher wins national award
ROCKY POINT, NC (WWAY) — A kindergarten and first grade teacher is celebrating her birthday with cake, ice cream and a surprise $25,000 Milken Educator Award.
Jessica Barnette received the award at a schoolwide assembly Tuesday morning at Rocky Point Elementary School, where she was honored for her work in and out of the classroom.
Barnette is Pender County Schools’ first recipient of the Milken Educator Award, often hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching.”She is among up to 40 elementary educators across the nation who will receive the Milken Educator Award during the 2022-2023 school year.
On top of Tuesday’s celebration, Barnette will have the opportunity to join the national Milken Educator Network of more than 2,900 exceptional K-12 educators and leaders across the country.“Seeing success in one grade is tremendous, but Jessica’s excellent teaching skills have helped bring growth to her class of early learners in both kindergarten and first grade – a significant feat,” Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop said. “Celebrating this Award together with a birthday is a special moment for all of us. We are proud of everything Jessica has done in her career and look forward to seeing her reach even greater heights.”Marking its 35th anniversary, the Milken Educator Awards inspire and uplift with the unique stories of educators making a profound difference for students, colleagues and communities.
