Vol. 38, No. 40
October 28, 2004
Francis Howell Teacher Wins $25,000 Milken Award
Jennifer Pallardy, elementary teacher in the Francis Howell School District, is a winner of the 2004 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, state education officials announced today.
The honor includes an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000 and an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., next spring.
Commissioner of Education D. Kent King made the surprise announcement of her selection during an all-school assembly this afternoon.
Ms. Pallardy is a teacher and reading specialist for grades K-3 at Independence Elementary School in St. Charles. She is beginning her eighth year in the profession. She has worked in the Francis Howell School District since 2001. She is described as a hard-working and dedicated teacher who is a role model to both students and teachers.
Ms. Pallardy supervises the Reading Recovery program in the district’s 10 elementary schools. She works with reading specialists, classroom teachers, parents, students, principals and administrators to ensure early intervention for at-risk learners. During 2001-2002, she received training as a Reading Recovery teacher leader in Little Rock, Ark.
She stays current in her field and studies research on the best instructional practices for literacy development. She is a master at observing individual students to diagnose reading difficulties and planning instruction to meet their needs.
She is a leader in professional development efforts throughout the district and is looked upon as a resource among district staff. She serves as coordinator of the district’s comprehensive literacy model. She also is a member of the district’s instruction committee.
Milken National Educator Award
Ms. Pallardy is one of two Missouri educators chosen for the award this year by the Milken Family Foundation and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The foundation is based in Santa Monica, Calif.
Missouri joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1996. Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has awarded more than $51.9 million to 2,077 outstanding American educators. (See attached fact sheet.)
Ms. Pallardy did not know she was being considered for the award. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education coordinates the state-level selection process and appoints an independent panel of educators who recommend candidates for the award. Criteria for the Milken National Educator Award include:
- Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by outstanding instructional practices in the classroom, school and profession;
- Outstanding accomplishment and strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership; and
- Engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues and the community.
"This marks our ninth year of recognizing excellence in education with the Milken Family Foundation. We are proud to acknowledge the vision and dedication of exceptional Missouri teachers like Jennifer Pallardy," Commissioner of Education D. Kent King said.
This month, 100 exemplary educators and administrators in public schools in 47 states and the District of Columbia have been honored as this year’s recipients of the Milken Educator Awards.