Havre de Grace Superstar Teacher Wins $25,000

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD - The teacher who once staged a newscast so kids could feel like they were on the red carpet during their first day of school was surprised Thursday when the spotlight was on him.

Thomas Dennison, who teaches fifth grade at Havre de Grace Elementary, was brought to tears upon learning during a special assembly that he was the recipient of the Milken Educator Award.

He is the only educator in Maryland to receive the recognition, which goes to up to 35 teachers a year and comes with a $25,000 check and professional development opportunities.

"I love that I get to work and come to school and be at home in a place that is filled with hope," Dennison said at Havre de Grace Elementary, where he said he has been for 14 years and plans to continue his career.

The Milken Educator Award, called the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher magazine, goes to teachers who are engaging and inspiring, provide models for classroom excellence and are in the early to mid part of their careers while offering long-range potential. To select its winners, the Milken Family Foundation uses a confidential process that involves the state department of education.

“Mr. Dennison’s commitment and dedication to the students at Havre de Grace Elementary is apparent from the moment you walk into his classroom,” Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Canavan said in a statement. “Students are engaged and there is an actual ‘buzz’ in the room; the excitement is contagious, and you know that you are experiencing the commitment and dedication of a truly special teacher."

At Havre de Grace Elementary, Dennison helped found the Houses Initiative, which split the school community into smaller groups to make it feel more like a family.

In his classroom, he engages students on a personal level by greeting them with handshakes, tapping drums when kids get answers right or staging water balloon battles outdoors to convey the Revolutionary War.

Dennison is also known for fostering character in students, stoking curiosity, compassion and leadership.

School officials say parents often ask for their students to be in his classes.

"You come in here and you get problem-solving and you get love and you get caring and you get fathers for kids who don't have them and you get hugs for people who need them," Dennison said at the awards assembly Thursday. He called out some students by name, including his daughter, Samantha Dennison, who inspire their peers by their acts of courage and kindness. "When you walk through those halls, you see hope."

Testament to the effectiveness of its instructors, Havre de Grace Elementary ranks in the top 1 percent for reading and top 10 for math among Maryland’s Title I schools, officials said, and Dennison's class scored in the proficient or advanced range on Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) assessment last year.

Dennison received a standing ovation at the awards assembly Thursday morning, where he was presented with a check for $25,000 from the Milken Family Foundation.

"Teachers who help elementary school students – particularly those battling learning disabilities, poverty and other challenges – can change the course of individual lives and communities," Mike Milken, co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, said in a statement. "That's why we're so pleased to recognize Thomas Dennison for his extraordinary efforts to engage all students and help them find meaning and pride in their work."

The Milken Educator Award is in its 30th year and comes with a network of resources to help educators continue on their path of excellence.

Photo courtesy of Milken Family Foundation.