Wake Elementary School Teacher Wins Milken Educator Award

During her 12 years of educating elementary school, Victoria Lightfoot has been singled out as teacher of the yr in two distinctive Wake County faculties and as a semi-finalist for district’s top rated honor. Still none of people accolades could have organized her for the surprise at this morning’s assembly at Millbrook Magnet Elementary University, in which she was handed a verify for $25,000 just after remaining named a countrywide Milken Educator Award winner.

Lightfoot, now an instructional mentor after instructing third grade most recently at Wake’s Cedar Fork Elementary School, was honored by the Milken Family members Foundation and by condition and community schooling leaders for her results with all college students, her leadership with friends and her enthusiasm and commitment to schooling.

The Milken Loved ones Basis bestows the award annually – other than for last year because of the pandemic – to realize extraordinary early-to-mid job education experts. Lightfoot is a person of only two honorees from North Carolina all through the 2021-22 faculty year. Candidates for the award are identified by way of a confidential variety course of action and then reviewed by blue ribbon panels appointed by point out departments of instruction. Individuals most extraordinary are suggested for the award, with remaining acceptance by the Milken Household Foundation.

“Victoria Lightfoot is an incredible case in point of how remarkable academics are function types for their pupils and colleagues alike,” mentioned Stephanie Bishop, vice president of the Milken Educator Awards and a 2001 Milken Educator from Virginia. “As a third-quality instructor who grew to come to be an instructional coach, Victoria actually understands how to share what works in the classroom to bolster accomplishment throughout the faculty. Congratulations, Victoria, and welcome to the Milken Educator Network!”

Providing her congratulations to Lightfoot, Point out Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt mentioned she’s been an priceless asset to the faculties wherever she’s been a member of the college.

“It’s clear that Victoria’s devotion to schooling and her concentration on powerful instructing and studying has produced a measurable variation not only for her college students, but also for her colleagues in their own classrooms,” Truitt said. “She conjures up her learners and empowers other lecturers by sharing what she learns about productive instruction and how ideal to link with students.

“The Millbrook college local community is extremely lucky to have her, and North Carolina is lucky to have her supporting to lead for the sort of fantastic education that all young children in the condition deserve.” 

Cathy Moore, superintendent of the Wake County Community School Program, cited Lightfoot’s remarkable contribution to the district and its students.

“For approximately 12 decades, Victoria has demonstrated excellence as an elementary faculty trainer in our district,” Moore mentioned. “She is good, thoughtful, resourceful and makes meaningful and long lasting connections with our younger learners. Her students and colleagues know how unbelievable she is, and we are grateful to the Milken Foundation for recognizing her with this prestigious award.”

Lightfoot is regarded for her innovative and culturally applicable methods for connecting with and motivating her students, regardless of whether by integrating arts and music education and learning into her courses or providing effective opinions to college students, the two in-human being and throughout latest remote understanding. 

A single parent advised her college that all through remote discovering, Lightfoot was so partaking that she usually needed to just sit and listen to her read through in the course of her interactive browse-alouds.

It is not just how properly she engages pupils, but it is the outcomes her college students realize since of her usefulness as a teacher. She gets effects: Her students execute properly on standardized checks, and their general performance positively impacts her school’s overall achievements and development. In 2018-19, nearly 90{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} of her college students arrived at quality-level proficiency on the state’s conclude-of-quality looking at assessments practically 75{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} scored at the Faculty and Occupation Prepared level.

Colleagues say that she evokes learners. They say college students know who she is and what she stands for. They know they can rely on her. And they know she is very pleased of them when they converse up for on their own and when they clearly show empathy to other folks.

Exterior her individual classroom, Lightfoot will take an lively purpose supporting other teachers in her college and at the district stage, where she’s been tapped to guide qualified progress and to generate literacy and math classes.  

At Cedar Fork Elementary, Lightfoot took on the function of coordinator for the Starting Instructor Mentor Software, collaborated with educators throughout the county and invited visitor speakers for periods that centered on simple topics this sort of as classroom management, building associations with students, equity, and social-psychological understanding in the classroom. She also initiated a teacher “Buddy Program,” which involved employees who had been not necessarily starting lecturers, encouraging personnel to associate collectively for improved results for pupils. 

Lightfoot also has prepared grants for the United Arts Council, served as a Discovery Training ambassador and presented at the National Science Academics Affiliation convention. Colleagues say she is speedy to apply new know-how and to share it with some others.

She attained a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in 2010 and a master’s degree in K-8 math and science in 2014, equally from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Alongside with the $25,000 money prize, recipients sign up for the countrywide Milken Educator Community, a team of much more than 2,800 major teachers, principals and experts. The community serves as a wealthy source for fellow educators, legislators, faculty boards and many others committed to excellence in education. 

In June, the honorees will attend an all-expenditures-compensated Milken Educator Awards Discussion board in Los Angeles, in which they will community with their new colleagues as very well as veteran Milken Educators and other education and learning leaders about how to maximize their influence on K-12 education and learning. In addition, they will understand about how to grow to be included in the Milken Close friends Endlessly (MFFs) mentoring program, in which freshman Milken Educators acquire customized coaching and support from a Milken Educator veteran on techniques to elevate their instructional apply and take an active position in instructional management, plan and observe.