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Amplifying Student Voice Garners $25,000 Milken Educator Award for Denver Teacher Reina Cruz

Governor Jared Polis and Education Commissioner Dr. Katy Anthes join Milken Family Foundation to honor role model for Latina students and first-generation graduates at Northfield High School

March 17, 2022

Santa Monica, Calif., — In Reina Cruz' classroom at Northfield High School in Denver, Colorado, students are finding their voice – and learning how to use it. The social studies teacher empowers teens to play an active role in their education in her "Student Voice and Leadership" class, which focuses on elevating diverse student perspectives. This effort has led to administrators incorporating student input in decision-making. 

In a surprise all-school assembly today, surrounded by cheering colleagues, students, education officials and media, Cruz received a Milken Educator Award for propelling her students to new heights. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Education Commissioner Dr. Katy Anthes joined Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley to surprise Cruz with the national honor, which includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. Cruz will join a national network of more than 2,800 Milken Educators and education leaders across the U.S. 

"Through her instructional expertise and passion for uplifting her students, Reina Cruz has crafted a space where students feel confident to assert their identity while developing the tools to pursue future goals," said Dr. Foley, who herself is a 1994 Milken Educator from Indiana. "I commend Reina for being a powerful advocate for her students, and proudly welcome her into the national Milken Educator Network." 

Cruz is among more than 60 educators nationwide who will receive the Award during the 2021-22 school year. The last Denver Public Schools recipient was awarded in 2012. 

"There is no more important job than educating our next generation of leaders, and I am proud to congratulate Reina Cruz on this stunning achievement. There are few professions as noble as teaching and education, and Colorado is so proud to have an educator like Ms. Cruz," said Governor Polis.

"I'm so excited to celebrate Reina Cruz as a Milken Educator,” said Dr. Anthes. "Reina's work to raise up student voices and support aspiring first-generation college students is inspiring. I can see why she is such an invaluable member of her school community, and I congratulate her on winning this exciting award." 

Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," Milken Educator Awards inspire and uplift with the unique stories of educators making a profound difference for students, colleagues and communities. The Awards are not designated for lifetime achievement. 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. 

"Northfield High School teacher Reina Cruz exemplifies what we all strive to do at Denver Public Schools, put students first," said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. "She meets students where they are and lifts them higher than they thought they could reach. She has created a safe space in her classroom where students feel comfortable taking educational risks, and she goes above and beyond to differentiate her instruction. I couldn't be more proud of the work that Ms. Cruz does for our scholars and on behalf of all of Denver Public Schools, I congratulate her on receiving the Milken Educator Award." 

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

More About Reina Cruz

Multicultural Education: Cruz advises the Student Board of Education and other student-led initiatives and, as the equity senior team lead for English and social studies, is working to ensure that the school’s curriculum includes a range of perspectives and sources. She aspires to lead system-level change, and her approach to equity begins with listening and learning—Cruz plans to interview every Hispanic student at NHS about their educational experiences. 

Diverse Perspectives: In the two-year International Baccalaureate Psychology course she took over at NHS in 2020, Cruz connects students to the content they're learning, bringing outside experts like Stanford University psychology professor Philip Zimbardo into class via Zoom to talk about his famous Stanford Prison Experiment and career paths in psychology. During the pandemic, she helped educators create a rich learning environment using videos and live online collaboration via Google Meet. She was an EdTech District Champion, leading NHS' remote learning team and implementing practices schoolwide to maintain student engagement. 

Civic Engagement: Cruz' AP social studies classes have included programs of We The People and Project Citizen to provide teens with the opportunity to become actively engaged citizens. Cruz goes above and beyond to differentiate her instruction, recognizing the importance of data to help students track their learning goals, while facilitating discussion and debate. 

Student Focus: Cruz meets students where they are. Her classroom is a safe space where students feel comfortable taking intellectual risks. Cruz holds a special passion for supporting first-generation students in their efforts to become the first in their families to go to college, celebrating students’ college acceptances and scholarships with joyful posts on Twitter.

Education: Cruz earned a bachelor's in secondary education in 2012 from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas and a master's in curriculum and instruction in 2015 from Kansas State University.

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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