School in Huntersville, today was named North Carolina's 2009 Milken
Family Foundation National Educator Award recipient. Rudolph is among
more than 50 secondary educators in the nation to receive the
unrestricted financial award of $25,000 this year and has become the
newest member of a network of over 2,400 past recipients. Milken
Family Foundation Senior Vice President Jane Foley made the surprise
announcement during a school-wide assembly. Rudolph is the only North
Carolina educator to receive the award this year, and the fourth
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools employee to be named a Milken Award
winner. In 1994, Albert Winston won the award while he was principal
of Hidden Valley Elementary; Collinswood Principal Maria Petrea won
the award in 2000, and Dr. Cindy Moss won the award in 2001 while
teaching science at Independence High.
State Superintendent June Atkinson, who assisted in the presentation,
said she knows the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award
recipients represent the best and the brightest in the teaching
profession. "These outstanding educators spark interests, inspire
creativity and boost achievement among all their students and we are
so fortunate to have another Milken award winner in our state,"
Atkinson said. "Talented teachers such as Cynthia Rudolph are a key
ingredient in our efforts to keep students excited and engaged in
learning so they stay in school and graduate prepared for college, job
training and a career."
Rudolph co-teaches two biology inclusion classes as well as honors
classes and is noted for her unconventional and successful teaching
techniques. Colleagues say that she challenges each student with the
same mantra, to get out of their "comfort zone" to increase their
academic achievement. She integrates art, dance and song into her
classes to accomplish this goal and test results for her inclusion
classes show all of her students exceed state standards.
Rudolph also helps to show her colleagues and educators across the
country that science instruction can be creative. In 2008, she was
selected as a professional development master teacher by her district,
and her classroom serves as a learning lab for new teachers. Rudolph
helped to
develop the district's science curriculum and serves on the state
department committee for testing and test development. She also was
one of 20 teachers in North Carolina to be selected for the State
Biology Standards Development conference.
An independent, blue-ribbon committee appointed by each state's
department of education selects the potential award recipients for
submission to the Milken Foundation. Selection criteria include
exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional
practices and student learning results in the classroom and school;
exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom that
provide models of excellence for the profession; strong, long-term
potential for professional and policy leadership; and an engaging and
inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and
the community.
"Highly effective educators are the human capital that will equip
America's youth in this increasingly competitive global economy,"
Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken said.
"By shining a national spotlight on these exceptional people, the
Milken Educator Awards send a powerful message of the critical role
that talented teachers play in preparing young people for a bright
future."
Dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine, the Milken
National Educator Awards were established to provide exceptional K-12
educators with public recognition and to inspire talented young people
to consider teaching as a career. In addition to the financial award
and educational networking opportunities, the Milken Family Foundation
provides recipients with a variety of professional resources to help
them cultivate and expand innovative programs in their classrooms,
schools and districts. The award alternates each year between
elementary and secondary educators.
Since North Carolina joined the Milken Awards program in 1994, 44
North Carolina educators have received this award, sharing a total of
almost $1.1 million. Nationally, over 2,400 educators have received
more than $60 million since the program's inception in 1987. To
receive additional information on the Milken Educator Awards, the
National Education Conference, or other Milken Family Foundation
programs, please call 310.570.4775 or visit the Milken Family
Foundation Web site, http://www.mff.org. For information about the
award presented in North Carolina, please contact the NCDPI's
Communications division at 919.807.3450.
