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The $25,000 Milken Educator Award Goes to … Batesville Math Teacher Derek Tharp!

Fifth grade math teacher leader scores national recognition as Southside School District's first-ever Milken Educator Award recipient

January 09, 2025

Santa Monica, Calif. — Good news in the new year is already "adding up" for Southside Middle School fifth grade math teacher Derek Tharp. At an all-school assembly this morning with Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, students, staff, visiting dignitaries and media rumbled with excitement as the assembly took a turn no one saw coming: Tharp is a 2024-25 Milken Educator Award recipient! 

Dr. Joshua Barnett – representing the Milken Family Foundation as CEO of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching – presented Tharp with his Award and an unrestricted $25,000 check with his name on it. Tharp is the first-ever Milken Educator Award recipient in Batesville’s Southside School District and the 82^nd recipient in Arkansas. 

"Derek's inspirational journey as a classroom teacher and instructional leader shows his character and commitment to making an indelible impact on the lives of his students and colleagues," said Dr. Barnett. "His extraordinary example lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Congratulations, Derek, and welcome to the Milken Educator Network." 

Today, Tharp 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. 

"Mr. Tharp's commitment to his students is unmatched," Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said. "Having previously served as an administrator, Mr. Tharp's expertise makes him an even more successful educator in the classroom. In addition to going the extra mile, he works across subject areas to ensure students have the supports they need to be successful. Congratulations, Mr. Tharp, on this well-deserved honor." 

Outstanding educators like Tharp are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients 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. 

More About Derek Tharp 

Leading from the Classroom: In Batesville, Southside Middle School's Derek Tharp brings his valuable experience as a classroom teacher, instructional facilitator and assistant principal to his role as a fifth grade math teacher and lead teacher. His unique skillset allows him to strengthen his leadership while having a direct impact on the academic and personal growth of his students. 

Going the Extra Mile: Tharp brings a new meaning to the term 'relentless.' Known for going the extra mile for his students, his drive to help students reach their maximum potential is infectious. Tharp is often seen working alongside his students during recess, lunch, and before and after school to ensure their individual needs are met. He helps provide dyslexia screenings and services for students in fourth through 12th grade and serves as an interventionalist during the school's Response to Intervention (RTI) periods. His data-driven, targeted strategies paired with the use of higher-order questioning, call-and-response, and collaborative learning have proven to be effective, consistently leading students to high growth and achievement on NWEA MAP assessments and ACT Aspire summative assessments. 

A Force in the Community: At the district level, Tharp serves as a testing coordinator, mentor teacher, and personnel policy committee member, and presents professional development sessions on test-taking strategies, classroom management, and more. He has presented at a state reading conference and is a guide for the Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (ATLAS) Classroom Tool. At Southside Middle, Tharp holds a leadership role in his PLC as a mentor for new educators and has helped develop inclusion model unit lessons for a PLC science program. 

Commitment to the Craft: Tharp tutors students across various grade levels and serves as a positive, stable role model in their lives. On the rare occasion that Tharp misses a school day, he pre-records lessons for his substitute to use, ensuring that his students remain on track in his absence. His passion for learning extends to higher education, where he serves as an adjunct instructor at Lyon College in Batesville. 

Education: Tharp earned his Bachelor of Arts in middle level math and science from Harding University in 2015 and his Master of Science in Education in educational theory and practice from Arkansas State University in 2017. 

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 this April, 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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