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Kentucky Math Teacher Surprised with Prestigious Milken Educator Award and Unrestricted $25,000 Prize

Jenna Stewart of Longbranch Elementary School recognized as one of nation's best for exceptional leadership and excellence in education

December 11, 2024

Union, Ky. — Fifth grade math teacher Jenna Stewart thought she was attending a schoolwide assembly at Longbranch Elementary School as part of a visit from Kentucky Commissioner of Education Dr. Robbie Fletcher. Instead, Stewart received the surprise of a lifetime when she was presented with a Milken Educator Award in front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries and media. The prestigious national honor – created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken – recognizes exceptional educators for their dedication to excellence in education and is considered the "Oscar of Teaching." Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley and Dr. Fletcher presented the Award, which includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize that Stewart may use however she chooses. 

"Jenna Stewart shapes the minds and futures of her students, inspiring them to reach their full potential," said Dr. Foley, who herself is a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator. "Her unwavering leadership, supportive learning environment, and strong community relationships make her a role model for students and colleagues alike. Congratulations, Jenna, and welcome to our national Milken Educator Network!" 

Stewart was honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation's 2024-25 Milken Educator Awards season. The tour will honor up to 45 pioneering professionals coast to coast, marking the 3,000^th Milken Educator in the Awards' ranks and celebrating a history of changing lives in communities across America. This season will reach more than $75 million in individual cash prizes since the Awards' inception in 1987 and over $145 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to "Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate" the K-12 profession and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education.

"It is teachers like Ms. Stewart who are helping us move forward with our United We Learn vision to provide vibrant learning experiences for our students," Dr. Fletcher said. "She is a role model as she focuses on the whole child, ensuring that every student receives the care and attention they need to thrive not only in their learning but socially and emotionally." 

More about Jenna Stewart 

Fostering Academic Excellence and Community: Jenna Stewart sets high academic and behavioral standards in her fifth grade class at Longbranch Elementary where she teaches math. A quiet leader, Stewart places emphasis on relationship-building and works to instill a strong sense of community amongst students and their families, providing a sturdy foundation for structure and success. Her focused approach garners positive results with students, achieving 90% proficiency or better by the end of the school year, a benchmark set by Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS). 

A Role Model Beyond the Classroom: Stewart is passionate about every facet of her students' growth, and her support and positive influence extend beyond scholastic activities with a focus on the whole child. She has coached "Girls on the Run," building confidence in students through setting and achieving their goals, and completing a 5K. She has co-chaired the Student Job Committee, a group that helps students obtain jobs. She also has led the school's Lighthouse Team – a group of students who represent the school in a myriad of ways, from morning announcements to helping others board the buses – that is part of the "Leader in Me" program. Her sense of community is evident: she holds "porch pop-ins" at students' houses at the beginning of the school year to meet and encourage them for the year ahead, and frequently attends her students’ sporting events outside of school. 

A Commitment to Leadership: At the district and community levels, Stewart's leadership is further demonstrated as a teacher leader for mathematics, working to revise and build curriculum aligning with target benchmarks for the approximately 20,000 students within the district. Stewart has represented the district for School-Based Decision Making (SBDM), and serves on the Deeper Learning Committee and the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Committee. 

Stewart earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Kentucky in 2014. 

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. 

The Milken Educator Award might come to a community near you! Who will be next? Join us as we surprise these remarkable individuals and celebrate their dedication to excellence in education! Follow the 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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