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Hattiesburg Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Oak Grove Elementary's Amanda Duplessy presented with "Oscar of Teaching" for innovative instructional practices and exemplary leadership

January 29, 2025

Hattiesburg, Miss.  — Oak Grove Elementary School fifth grade teacher Amanda Duplessy thought she was attending a schoolwide assembly this morning in honor of a visit from State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans. Yet there was another honor in store: Duplessy received the surprise of a lifetime with the Milken Educator Award for Mississippi. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the prestigious national recognition – hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching" – includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize that the recipient may use however they choose. 

Dr. Evans joined Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop in bestowing the Award upon Duplessy. 

"Amanda Duplessy's creative instruction and outstanding mentorship are making a marked difference in the lives of her students, colleagues and the greater community," said Bishop, who is a 2001 Virginia Milken Educator herself. "Amanda's classroom is a hub of critical thinking and hands-on learning where every activity is tailored to inspire growth. Congratulations, Amanda! Today we celebrate you and welcome you to the Milken Educator Network." 

Duplessy was honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation's 2024-25 Milken Educator Awards season. The tour will honor up to 45 pioneering professionals coast to coast, marking the 3,000^th Milken Educator in the Awards' ranks and celebrating a history of changing lives in communities across America. Since the presentation of the first Awards in 1987, more than $75 million in individual cash prizes and over $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to "Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate" the K-12 profession and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education.

"Great teachers transform students' lives by creating pathways to success that extend far beyond the classroom walls," said Dr. Evans. "As a Milken Educator, Amanda Duplessy demonstrates the powerful impact that dedicated educators have on student achievement and our entire education system." 

More about Amanda Duplessy 

A Personalized Approach to Engaging Instruction: Amanda Duplessy's exemplary career is evident in the way she tailors instruction and interventions to meet student needs, mentors fellow teachers, and is often the first to arrive and the last to leave each school day. Duplessy’s commitment is reflected in her students’ academic growth each year.

At the beginning of the school year, Duplessy assesses her students and identifies any gaps in comprehension, then adjusts her curriculum with research-based strategies and data personalized to students' needs. She incorporates creative, high-quality instructional materials into her classroom, engaging students in immersive activities to build strong comprehension and critical thinking skills. Her "Unsolved Mysteries" unit has students dress up as detectives as they study their top-secret case file focused on reading nonfiction and performing research. Role-playing continues in her "Writing Boot Camp," where students are "ordered" by Duplessy as "class drill sergeant" to complete a series of challenges that boost proficiency.

Inspiring Leadership Beyond the Classroom: A leader herself, Duplessy extends her guidance and experience in growing and inspiring student leaders as co-founder of Oak Grove's first-ever student council. She often attends student sporting events or dance recitals in her free time. Her support also encompasses her colleagues: Duplessy serves as a fifth grade ELA professional learning community (PLC) leader, mentors her peers, leads a professional development book study related to implementation strategies for the science of reading, supervises student teachers from the University of Southern Mississippi (Duplessy’s alma mater) assigned to Oak Grove for clinical practice, and oversees fifth grade’s positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). She is also on the arts committee, and develops strong, meaningful relationships with parents and families.

Education: Duplessy is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education K-6 in 2007 and a Master of Education in elementary education in 2012. 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits 

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
• The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 

The Milken Educator Award might come to a community near you! Who will be next? Join us as we surprise these remarkable individuals and celebrate their dedication to excellence in education! Follow the tour and use the #MEA3K and #MilkenAward hashtags on: Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| X (Milken)| YouTube (MilkenAward)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward). 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.

About the Milken Educator Awards: "The Future Belongs to the Educated"
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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