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Tiffany Morris was totally oblivious to the true reason for an all-school assembly Wednesday morning at Daniel Young Elementary.
“I knew we were having an assembly, but I thought it was to recognize the whole building for all of the hard work among the students and teachers,” said the first grade teacher. “I never thought for one single moment that this was all for me.”
Morris, who has been teaching at Daniel Young for seven years, is one of 80 teachers in the United States to receive the 2008 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award this year.
“Along with parents, teachers and principals are some of the most important people in a student’s life,” said Jane Foley, vice president of the Milken Family Foundation. “They have the most important jobs in our country, and I don’t think they are recognized enough for the outstanding education they give.”
The Milken National Educator Award provides public recognition to teachers, principals and education specialists who are furthering excellence in education. The program alternates each year between educators at the elementary and secondary level. Individuals are not nominated for the award. The Milken Family Foundation searches the winners out, which makes the award a complete surprise to the recipients.
“We are very honored to have Tiffany here at Daniel Young,” said Principal Doug Nielsen. “She does a fabulous job for our school and students and has an excellent reputation among our educators. We are very proud and very honored for her. She truly deserves this because of how hard she works for our kids.”
Educators are recommended for the award by a panel appointed by each state’s department of education. Candidates are selected based on exceptional educational talent, exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom, a strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership and the ability to engage and inspire students, colleagues and members of the community.
As a winner, Morris will receive a trip to the Milken National Education Conference in Los Angeles next spring as well as $25,000. This money can be used any way in which the recipient decides. Morris said she has not thought a lot about how she will use the money, but thinks continuing her education is a possibility.
“I find the passion I have for teaching from within myself,” she said. “I do what I do because I love what I do. Everything I do is because of the students.”
Tiffany Morris was totally oblivious to the true reason for an all-school assembly Wednesday morning at Daniel Young Elementary.
“I knew we were having an assembly, but I thought it was to recognize the whole building for all of the hard work among the students and teachers,” said the first grade teacher. “I never thought for one single moment that this was all for me.”
Morris, who has been teaching at Daniel Young for seven years, is one of 80 teachers in the United States to receive the 2008 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award this year.
“Along with parents, teachers and principals are some of the most important people in a student’s life,” said Jane Foley, vice president of the Milken Family Foundation. “They have the most important jobs in our country, and I don’t think they are recognized enough for the outstanding education they give.”
The Milken National Educator Award provides public recognition to teachers, principals and education specialists who are furthering excellence in education. The program alternates each year between educators at the elementary and secondary level. Individuals are not nominated for the award. The Milken Family Foundation searches the winners out, which makes the award a complete surprise to the recipients.
“We are very honored to have Tiffany here at Daniel Young,” said Principal Doug Nielsen. “She does a fabulous job for our school and students and has an excellent reputation among our educators. We are very proud and very honored for her. She truly deserves this because of how hard she works for our kids.”
Educators are recommended for the award by a panel appointed by each state’s department of education. Candidates are selected based on exceptional educational talent, exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom, a strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership and the ability to engage and inspire students, colleagues and members of the community.
As a winner, Morris will receive a trip to the Milken National Education Conference in Los Angeles next spring as well as $25,000. This money can be used any way in which the recipient decides. Morris said she has not thought a lot about how she will use the money, but thinks continuing her education is a possibility.
“I find the passion I have for teaching from within myself,” she said. “I do what I do because I love what I do. Everything I do is because of the students.”
This is the second consecutive year that a teacher in the Blue Springs School District has earned the award. In 2007, Sara Crump, an English teacher at Blue Springs High School, was recognized.
“I am so proud of the teachers here in the Blue Springs School District,” Crump said. “This is such a phenomenal way to celebrate educators, and I think that having another teacher in our district receive this award, is proof of the quality teachers in Blue Springs.”
Superintendent Paul Kinder said he was “shocked” to learn that another Blue Springs teacher was being recognized by the Milken Family Foundation. He said it almost “makes me speechless” to have another teacher honored at this level.
“It is a little overwhelming,” he said. “But I think it reflects what our staff does each and every day for our students. It is the reason why we have such quality schools.”
Morris said teaching has always been natural for her, and she would not have it any other way.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said with a smile on her face. “I always made my brothers and sisters play school with me, so teaching has really been a desire for me my entire life. When it came time to choose, education was my natural decision. I never would change that decision for anything in the world.”
