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Chad Downs, You're a Milken Educator

 

Chad Downs and his students get back to work after the teacher's surprise Milken Educator Award notification. With relationship-building at the core of the Open School philosophy, Downs plays games with his pupils, engages them in conversation, and talks with them about their outside interests. He asks them to write weekly letters home that summarize their accomplishments and keep parents included in the classroom’s educational process. The walls of Downs’s classroom feature work from former students as inspiration for the current class.