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Surprise of a Lifetime: Bismarck Teacher Receives $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Wachter Middle School's Erica Quale makes history come alive in her classroom
Oprah Winfrey congratulates Milken Educators in heartwarming video message as 'light in this world'

March 24, 2022

Bismarck, ND  — In a surprise assembly earlier today Erica Quale (pronunciation: KWAH-lee), an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck, received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for her work making history come alive for middle school students. Quale, a teacher in the largest district in the state, emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and creativity in her classroom, and her hard work pays off for her students. In 2019, she worked tirelessly to help prepare her students for the state civics exam. That year, 99.9 percent of Wachter Middle School's eighth graders passed the rigorous exam, beating the state by nearly 15 points. 

Milken Family Foundation Senior Program Director Greg Gallagher and North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler surprised Quale with the honor before cheering students, colleagues, state and local officials, and the media. Quale is among more than 60 educators nationwide to receive the recognition during the 2021-2022 school year and the only recipient in North Dakota. 

Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards celebrate, elevate and activate the American teaching profession and inspire young, capable people to join it. 

"Erica Quale is a true educator at heart, and her excellence and commitment to teaching show in everything she does," said Greg Gallagher, senior program director at the Milken Family Foundation. "Erica is a leader both inside and outside of the classroom, and we are proud to honor her with this Award today." 

The Milken Educator Award is not a lifetime achievement honor. Recipients are heralded while early to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities inherent in the Award. 

"At the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, we promote the work of our outstanding educators and encourage young people and mid-career professionals to consider teaching careers. Erica Quale embodies what it means to be a great educator. She makes sure that what her students learn in the classroom helps them to become critical thinkers, good collaborators, and problem solvers. She sees in her students what I have seen in classrooms across North Dakota. Our young people are kind, they are empathetic, they are articulate, they are our future innovators and leaders," said North Dakota's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kirsten Baesler. 

Oprah, a longtime education advocate, shared her congratulations to this year's winners in a video message shared earlier this year thanking "the most incredible educators around the country" and acknowledging her deep appreciation for the "tireless work" they do. 

More about Erica Quale 

Making History Come Alive: Erica Quale's goal is to make U.S. history relevant to her students’ lives. She emphasizes collaboration, instills confidence and encourages students to find creative ways to demonstrate their learning. Wachter has been working to incorporate project-based learning into curriculum for seven years, and Quale has been a leader in that effort. During a unit on westward expansion, her eighth graders develop materials to teach fourth graders from local elementary schools. Every spring, several hundred fourth graders arrive at Wachter on school buses and spend the day visiting learning stations that detail the challenges along the trails: crossing rivers, foraging for berries and avoiding angry bears. Quale also invites families and community members into the classroom to listen as students present their work. North Dakota students must pass a state civics exam, so Quale sets up interactive discussions and helps students create "foldables," portable study guides to help them prepare. Her methods work—in 2019, 99.9 percent of Wachter's eighth graders passed the test, beating the state by nearly 15 points. 

Strong Collaboration: Quale builds strong relationships with both students and colleagues. She is active in the school and district professional learning communities, helped introduce and implement new standards for social studies, mentors student teachers and new hires, and works with colleagues to create lessons and differentiate instruction. During the pandemic, Quale used her Professional Learning Community time to support colleagues as they transitioned to Google Classroom and Google Meets, relieving teachers' anxiety about remote teaching as they created new ways for students to participate and learn. 

Meaningful Relationships: Quale has a unique ability to connect with students, listen with empathy, and inspire them to learn. Students rarely sit still and take notes in her classroom—they are always busy and engaged, and most important, leave her classroom loving history. Quale sees past academics to address the needs of the whole child. She started Wachter's Pink Dot program to supply personal hygiene items to students. Every year, Quale organizes an eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. She helps students raise funds to cover travel costs, involving the whole community to make sure the trip is successful and every student has the opportunity to participate. 

Education: Quale earned a bachelor's in elementary and secondary education in 2007 from Jamestown College and a master's in teaching with technology in 2013 from Valley City State University. 

More information about Quale, plus links to photos and video from today’s assembly, can be found on the Milken Educator Awards website at https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/erica-quale. 

More about the Milken Educator Awards: "The future belongs to the educated."

Along with the financial prize, Milken Educator Award recipients join the national Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,800 top teachers, principals and specialists. The network serves as a rich resource for fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others dedicated to excellence in education.

• The honorees will also attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to increase their impact on K-12 education. In addition, they will learn about how to become involved in the Milken Friends Forever (MFFs) mentoring program, in which freshman Milken Educators receive personalized coaching and support from a Milken Educator veteran on ways to elevate their instructional practice and take an active role in educational leadership, policy and practice.
• Over the years, more than $140 million in funding, including $70 million for the individual cash awards, has been devoted to the overall Milken Awards initiative, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout recipients' careers. 
• Veteran Milken Educators frequently go on to serve in leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 
• "We find you. You don't find us!" Unlike most teacher recognition programs, the Milken Educator Awards initiative has no formal nomination or application process. Candidates are sourced through a confidential selection process and then reviewed by blue ribbon panels in each state. The most exceptional candidates are recommended for the award, with final selection made by the Milken Family Foundation. 
• The $25,000 cash award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. For instance, some have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children. 

To get regular updates on the surprise Milken Educator Award events or to watch the award events unfold, follow and use the #MilkenAward hashtag on Facebook (@MilkenEducatorAwards), Twitter (@Milken), YouTube (/MilkenAward), Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn), and TikTok (@MilkenAward).

For more information, visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772.

About the Milken Educator Awards
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. The awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school 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 initiative was created by the Milken Family Foundation, which celebrates 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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