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Valerie Baalerud Joins AK Milken Educators in Anchorage

Eagle River High School's special assembly is teeming with visiting dignitaries, including Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson, who is commending the school's warm and nurturing learning community, especially important for its many military families. But Dr. Johnson, a 2008 Milken Educator, has a special guest waiting in the wings: fellow Milken Educator Dr. Gary Stark (AR '01), CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. When Johnson and Stark present social studies teacher Valerie Baalerud with Alaska's 2017-18 Milken Educator Award, the outstanding educator gets the surprise of a lifetime. Follow along in the photos below.