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Devon Willis-Jones, You’re a Milken Educator!

 

 

Proud students at Jeanerette Elementary give Principal Devon Willis-Jones a hand holding up her oversized Milken Educator Award check. Willis-Jones has created a remarkable culture at Jeanerette, encouraging students to put what they learn into action. When fifth-graders at the school read a story in which farm workers strike and boycott for better working conditions, they decided to organize their own boycott to "lobby" for more recess. Willis-Jones turned the student action into a win-win opportunity for learning and motivation: She let the students submit their concerns and told them that if academic performance improved on benchmark assessments, she would extend their recess period.