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Bentonville's Bonnie Pollock Recognized Nationally with $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Old High Middle School teacher Bonnie Pollock achieves student success through transformative lessons and exciting classroom projects

March 05, 2025

Santa Monica, Calif. — Good morning, Bentonville! Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva began the day with a visit to Old High Middle School for an all-school assembly. However, as the assembly began to unfold, the true purpose of his visit was revealed when special guest Dr. Josh Barnett – representing the Milken Family Foundation as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching – took to the mic to announce an exciting secret. In the blink of an eye, sixth grade teacher Bonnie Pollock became a 2024-25 Milken Educator Award recipient, and her life changed forever! 

Along with the Award, Pollock received an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize in front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries, and media. The prestigious honor is not a lifetime achievement award; unsung heroes in education are sought out while early-to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. 

"Bonnie Pollock's innovation and leadership demonstrate the high-quality teaching our nation needs and our students deserve," said Dr. Barnett. "I am pleased to welcome Bonnie into the Milken Educator Network, where she will have a powerful platform to broaden her impact, both in Arkansas and across the country. Congratulations." 

Today, Pollock joins over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the Awards' nearly 40-year history as the nation's preeminent teacher-recognition program. Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to "Celebrate, Elevate and Activate" the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. More than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall. 

"Congratulations to Ms. Pollock on being named a Milken Educator," Secretary Oliva said. "From her interactive lessons in the classroom to her personal quest for continued professional learning, Ms. Pollock sets an example of excellence for her students, co-workers, and the future teachers she mentors." 

Pollock is the second and final Milken Educator to receive the honor in Arkansas for the 2024-25 school year and the 83^rd recipient in The Natural State. Derek Tharp of Southside Middle School in Batesville was recognized with the Award Jan. 9.

More About Bonnie Pollock 

A Transformative Classroom: Bonnie Pollock, a sixth grade English language arts, reading, and social studies teacher at Old High Middle School, transforms her classroom into a place of magic, fun, and deep educational enrichment. Students are accustomed to Pollock's interactive grammar lessons, themed classroom experiences like "Willy Wonka," classroom games like "Candy Connotation," escape rooms, or even a theater acting project to dissect "The Phantom Tollbooth." Students also benefit from other hands-on projects that connect to core curriculum like coding Ozobots to outline a story's plot, or participating in an Ancient Greece symposium, with the class dressed in togas ready to debate one another and present their characters to parents. 

Fostering Collaboration: Pollock is a member of her school's leadership team, which follows the district's implementation of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching's system for teacher leadership, support and growth. She has opened her classroom to host student teachers, observers, and more. Eager to grow both herself and others professionally, she serves as a mentor for the district's Ignite Education program, where she mentors high school students in Bentonville looking to become a teacher. She also mentors student teachers and participates in co-teaching professional development through Johns Hopkins University, where she has completed Boundless Learning Co-Teaching training. Pollock is also an active member on her school's fundraising committee, and serves as a PBIS committee leader, team leader, interdisciplinary team leader, and PLC leader. In the district, she has served on the sixth grade ELA curriculum pacing team and several textbook committees as well as has presented professional development on teaching grammar, data-driven decision making, co-teaching, and student engagement. Pollock has attended instructional coaching conferences and the Bentonville Leadership Conference to further engage her professional growth outside of school. 

Propelling Student Growth: An avid writer, Pollock's passion shines in her leadership of a student-led writing club, where many of her students have advanced to win local, state, and even international writing or essay competitions. She also organizes a Geography Bee and a Civics Bee for social studies students and leads the Girl Empowerment Club. 

Education: An Illinois State University graduate, Pollock earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education and Spanish in 2013 and a Master of Science in teaching and learning in 2016. 

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. 

Follow the Milken Educator Awards 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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