Press Releases    All Press Releases

Greensboro High School Teacher Surprised with $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Walter Hines Page High School's Justin Scarbro brings positive outlook, enthusiasm to every student he teaches

February 24, 2022

Greensboro, NC  — In a surprise assembly earlier today Justin Scarbro, a high school social studies teacher at Walter Hines Page High School, received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for his excellence and innovation in education. Scarbro uses creativity to bring history and social studies to life in his classroom, using real-world scenarios to capture his students’ imagination and build their understanding of the role of history in our lives today. 

Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop, North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt and Guilford County District Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras surprised Scarbro with the honor before cheering students, colleagues, state and local officials, and the media. Scarbro is only one of two honorees from North Carolina and among more than 60 to receive the recognition during the 2021-22 school year. 

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. 

"Both personally and professionally, Justin Scarbro's life inspires his students, friends and neighbors to bring their best to each other and to their schools," commented Bishop, who herself is a 2001 Milken Educator from Virginia. "He is a leader in his classroom and his community, and we are so pleased to honor him here 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. 

North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt added, "Today's award is about recognizing an excellent educator and the innovative and creative ways Mr. Scarbro has led both inside and outside of the classroom. I am thrilled to celebrate this exceptional teacher in our state and glad we could honor the extraordinary lengths he goes to inspire and motivate his students. This distinguished award brings exciting networking and professional development opportunities to Mr. Scarbro as well, which will only enhance outcomes for the educator and the student alike. This is an exciting day for Greensboro and for our state."

More About Justin Scarbro 

Creativity: Entering Justin Scarbro's social studies classroom often feels like walking into a party, with cheerful background music and the enthusiastic hum of students talking about current events or important moments in history. Scarbro uses his vast knowledge of effective instructional practices to engage all his students in critical thinking and discourse. Students take on roles as members of the Constitutional Convention during civics class and create their own campaign ads when studying the role of media in politics in AP Government. Scarbro uses classroom data to help every student grow and succeed, believing that each pupil has the ability to achieve at a high level with the right support. He maintains high standards in the classroom and works alongside his students not as an expert or authority figure, but as a guide and facilitator. Scarbro gets to know his students beyond academics, using the relationships he builds to cultivate a learning experience that motivates them and pays dividends in their learning successes. 

Motivational: Scarbro is a fixture in his school and local community. During the pandemic he brought a constant stream of positivity and support to colleagues, always going out of his way to help navigate the shifts to virtual instruction. Scarbro has coached baseball and basketball at the school, serves as an associate athletic director, sponsors student government, and advises International Baccalaureate students on their extended essay capstone projects. Forging lasting relationships not only with students but their families, he creates an environment in which parents are valued stakeholders in the process of educating their children. 

Leadership: Scarbro has represented Guilford County Schools in high-profile opportunities both at home and abroad. In the fall of 2020, he participated in an online roundtable with now-First Lady Dr. Jill Biden about virtual instruction and the future of education. Scarbro traveled to Peru and Chicago with Deliberating in a Democracy to promote the teaching and learning of democratic principles and civic deliberation in the U.S. and Latin America. He worked on Building Bridges, a districtwide history program financed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Scarbro facilitates the social studies department’s professional learning community, delivered professional development for the district on financial literacy and sits on the Equal Opportunity Schools team, focused on decreasing educational barriers for students of color and creating a culturally relevant and inclusive environment for all students. 

Education: Scarbro earned a bachelor's in secondary education in 2006 from Ohio University. 

More information about Scarbro, 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/justin-scarbro. 

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 2022 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.

Press Contact:

---