Milken Educators: Where Are They Now? (Part 2)

Dr. Gary Stark (AR '01) 

Then: 

Dr. Gary Stark was principal of Helen Tyson Middle School — Arkansas’ largest middle school — when former Governor Mike Huckabee surprised Stark with a 2001 Milken Educator Award. At Helen Tyson, Stark’s leadership accounted for a 25 percent increase in SAT9 scores in four years.

Now: 

“Sometimes opportunities that come to Milken Educators become opportunities for the Milken Family Foundation as well,” Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken once said about Stark, who currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). NIET was founded and is chaired by Lowell to advance educator effectiveness across the country.

When attending his first Milken National Education Conference, Stark learned details of an innovative reform being considered for his state—the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement. The initiative, whose growth became the catalyst for NIET’s creation, appealed to his interest in professional development and education reform. When former Arkansas Education Commissioner Ray Simon asked Stark to launch the TAP System in his state, it was a challenge he gladly accepted. 

Stark’s performance and his visibility as a Milken Educator put him on the fast track. After becoming the Arkansas TAP executive director in 2001, he joined the Milken Family Foundation as vice president of program development, and in 2010 he was selected to head NIET. Today, he leads a diverse team of educators, researchers, and policy experts focused on attracting, developing, motivating and retaining high-quality educators.

Related article: Growing With TAP

In his own words:

“Not only did Lowell Milken give me the gift of the Milken Educator Award, but he also gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to work with educators from all across the world. As president and CEO of NIET, I have benefited enormously from his intellect and experience as a business leader and as one of the great education reformers of our time. I look forward to advancing NIET’s exciting journey under his guidance.”