Vestavia Teacher Receives $25K Milken Education Award

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - Vestavia Hills Elementary School Central fifth grade teacher Heather Hurt was greeted with a surprise Wednesday during an assembly at the school, as she was presented with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award by Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder Lowell Milken and Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey.

Hurt was named a 2018-19 recipient of the national recognition, which comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. She is the only Milken Educator Award winner from Alabama this year, and is among the up to 40 honorees for 2018-19.

In Hurt's class, reading lessons morph into model building that leads to creating a Lego robot version of the Macy's Day parade. And, for example, as part of developing a Colonial Days program for the school, Hurt's social studies class did historical role-playing via Skype with historian "actors" from the Boston Museum.

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The Milken Educator Awards, hailed by Teacher magazine as the "Oscars of Teaching" has been opening minds and shaping futures for over 30 years. Research shows teacher quality is the driving in-school factor behind student growth and achievement. The initiative not only aims to reward great teachers, but to celebrate, elevate and activate those innovators in the classroom who are guiding America's next generation of leaders. Milken Educators believe, "The future belongs to the educated."

"Heather Hurt's classroom is a creative laboratory that keeps students riveted via a project-oriented approach that employs smart data, appropriate technology and proven pedagogy," said Milken. "Addressing all of her students' needs from the academic to the social and personal, Hurt's child-centered approach assures the best outcomes for all of her students.

"There's a reason people call this the Oscar's of education. The Milken Award is an honor that has been bestowed upon some of the most incredible educators in America. To have another Milken educator in Alabama is simply a testament to the kind of quality education that is available in Alabama public schools," Mackey said. "And although this particular award is given to an individual, she represents all of her colleagues statewide as part of a distinguished group of professionals simply known to most as 'teachers'. The Milken Family Foundation's acknowledgement and generosity are greatly appreciated."

"We are so proud to have one of our own as a Milken Award winner," said Dr. Todd Freeman, superintendent of Vestavia Hills City Schools. "Heather Hurt is very deserving. This honor certainly echoes how we feel about her in the teaching community. While we take this moment to celebrate one of the best educators in America, we also pause to pay homage to all of our educators. We are fortunate to be a school system full of education professionals who dedicate their lives to the betterment of children."

A graduate of Vestavia Hills High School, Hurt spent more than a decade working locally as a realtor before entering the classroom. She earned a bachelor's in business management from the University of Alabama in 2001 and a master's in education from Samford University in 2016.

Photo courtesy of the Milken Family Foundation