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Milken Educator Awards Team Surprises Hoover City Schools Elementary Teacher with $25,000 Award

Rocky Ridge Elementary School's Kaitlin McPeake uses imagination and innovation to inspire

Oprah Winfrey congratulates Milken Educators in heartwarming video message as 'light in this world'

March 04, 2022

Hoover, AL — In a surprise assembly today Kaitlin McPeake, a fourth-grade teacher at Rocky Ridge Elementary School, received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for her excellence and innovation in education. McPeake uses a hands-on approach to teaching that brings education to life for her students, inspires other teachers to grow professionally as educators, and brings out the best of everyone in her classroom. 

Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley and Alabama State Superintendent of Public Education Dr. Eric Mackey surprised McPeake with the honor before cheering students, colleagues, state and local officials, and the media. McPeake is only one of two honorees from Alabama and among more than 60 to receive the recognition during the 2021-22 school year. Kelsey Cooper, an eighth grade math teacher from Madison, was presented with the honor this morning. 

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. 

"Kaitlin McPeake's inspiration to become a teacher started as a child," commented Dr. Foley, who herself is a 1994 Milken Educator from Indiana. "She has always been motivated to pursue a teaching career and inspires other teachers to challenge, engage and lead their students every day to greater heights. She is an incredible educator, and we are honored to celebrate her 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. 

"Our state extends congratulations to Hoover City School System teacher and Milken Educator Kaitlin McPeake," said State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Eric Mackey. "Mrs. McPeake continues to demonstrate true leadership in establishing a firm foundation of academic excellence in her local school system. Having sound classroom leadership and consistent community support have been shown to help create highly effective learning environments for all students. Mrs. McPeake utilizes cutting-edge teaching methods in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to inspire young people. Students must have opportunities to gain essential skills for success after graduation. As State Superintendent, a parent, and a lifelong advocate for education, I am proud of the outstanding job being done by Mrs. McPeake and our local teachers statewide. Also, our state extends sincere appreciation to the Milken Family Foundation for its tireless efforts to highlight the incredible efforts and professionalism of America's K-12 teachers. Milken Educator Kaitlin McPeake is an outstanding example of educational leadership, classroom excellence, and unwavering commitment to student achievement." 

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

McPeake joins Rocky Ridge Elementary School Principal Dilhani Uswatte as a member of the national Milken Educator Network. Uswatte received the honor as a teacher at Birmingham's Berry Middle School in 2019. 

More about Kaitlin McPeake 

Innovation: McPeake creates magical learning environments that get students so excited you'd think they were spending the day at Disneyland. Each year, she transforms her classroom into a hands-on learning environment that is rigorous, engaging, and ultimately leads to increased student achievement. McPeake's Electrical Engineering Academy includes multiple stations where students tackle real-life electrical problems led by parents and other community members with engineering and STEM backgrounds. For the classroom's Shark Tank project, students research, design and present products to community judges. During "Glow-ometry Day," black lights and glow sticks bring an added dimension to geometry problems. All McPeake's classroom transformations include costumes, creative props and tools, and STEM multidisciplinary challenges. Her efforts are models for others: many of her Rocky Ridge colleagues have followed her lead and now create similar high-energy immersive environments in their own classrooms. 

Inspiring: McPeake's classroom draws the best out of each student. Students take on tasks where they must collaborate, critique their own work and redesign. She meets with students to set learning goals, providing multiple pathways to meet their targets. Before lessons, the class decodes the learning standards, which appear next to each question on tests and assignments so students can see which standards they need to work on when they correct their work. McPeake creates review kits that provide multiple ways for children to relearn material, including watching teaching videos, playing educational math games, reteaching to a friend, or creating their own board games and videos. She goes the extra mile to connect with each child and build meaningful relationships. Because she struggled with learning as a child, McPeake is determined to create the environment she wishes she'd had: one where students can flourish, believe they can improve, and are proud of themselves for taking ownership of their learning. 

Leadership: A leader in the building and district, McPeake helms the grade level and STEAM teams. She mentors student teachers, presents at school conferences, and facilitates professional development on topics like the National Writing Project, STEAM in the classroom, room transformations and engagement strategies. McPeake created a morning math club for grades three through five, leading almost 100 students at all levels through differentiated math challenges. Her GEMS (Girls Engaging in Math and Science) team has presented at the state level for the past three years; Rocky Ridge is the first school in the district to have GEMS groups at all grade levels. Colleagues credit McPeake with helping Rocky Ridge earn international STEM accreditation and grow from 86% to 92% on the Alabama Report Card. Every Monday, McPeake sends an inspirational message to the entire staff to motivate them for the week ahead. When COVID-19 closed school buildings suddenly in spring 2020, she helped colleagues create Google Classroom sites and adjust their instructional practices to virtual instruction. 

Education: McPeake earned a bachelor's in elementary education in 2013 and a master's in educational leadership in 2018 from the University of West Florida. She is a Google Certified Instructional Leader and is pursuing her National Board Certification.

More information about McPeake, 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/kaitlin-mcpeake. 

For more information on fellow 2022 Alabama Milken Educator Kelsey Cooper, visit https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/kelsey-cooper.

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.

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