LPJ Staff Report
RUSTON, La. — Allison Smith, a third grade English language arts and social studies teacher at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, received a Milken Educator Award and an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize in a surprise announcement Thursday.
Students, staff, dignitaries and media gathered on the Louisiana Tech University campus for an all-school assembly with Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley to celebrate an increase in School Performance Scores. Smith did not know the assembly also held a surprise for her. Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller took the microphone and announced her as the winner.
Smith was taken by complete surprise. Outstanding K-12 educators are sought out early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities the award affords.
“It takes significant commitment to provide the level of care, intentionality, and support that Allison Smith shows her students,” Fuller, herself a 2017 Texas Milken Educator, said. “Her passion in every step of her teaching career is inspiring and builds a bright future for herself and her students for years to come. Congratulations, Allison, and welcome to the Milken Educator Awards family!”
Smith is Louisiana’s 55th recipient since the state joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 2001. Three other Louisiana Tech graduates have won the award: Staci Thomas (2009), John Lary (2015) and Charday Wilson (2024).
The Milken Educator Awards 40th Anniversary Tour will honor up to 30 educators this school year. They will add to the Milken Educator Network of more than 3,000 professionals nationwide. Since the first presentation in 1987, more than $76 million in individual cash prizes has been awarded, and over $147 million has been invested in the national network overall. The program says the investment empowers recipients to broaden their impact and encourages young, capable people to consider a career in education.
“Teaching is a family calling for Allison Smith, and she answers that call every day for students at A.E. Phillips and Louisiana Tech,” Brumley said. “The students in her classroom benefit from engaging lessons delivered by a teacher who never stops getting better.”
Smith’s classroom is on the Louisiana Tech campus, where she teaches with a partner teacher. Education is in her blood. She grew up watching her mother supervise student teachers at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, which later became her alma mater.
Smith leads with the mantra, “Tell me something you would like your teacher to know,” to ensure each student feels heard and valued. She differentiates, uses small group instruction and assesses students’ comprehension in real time. Each day, she presents a “Quick Question,” a targeted formative assessment question tailored to the day’s learning goal.
Students engage in cross-curricular learning. The most memorable project is the year-end “Island Project,” in which they dream up imaginary islands using geographic and economic reasoning, then write a descriptive essay about their creations.
Smith mentors clinical residents at Louisiana Tech and often hosts observers and practicum students in her classroom. A member of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, she has presented at numerous conferences and helped organize the Northeast Louisiana Teacher Symposium. She also contributes to broader Lincoln Parish curriculum rollouts by writing her own materials and support keys for fellow educators.
Smith is trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention and is skilled at supporting students’ social and emotional needs. She leads the school’s Kindness Club, serves on the Sunshine Committee and volunteers for school and district events. She involves parents, tutors and community guest speakers in classroom initiatives.
One highlight of third grade is the STEM show, in which students dress up as STEM professionals and perform for students and families, igniting their imaginations for their future careers.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Louisiana Tech in 2019 and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2023.
The $25,000 award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some have spent it on their children’s or their own continuing education, financed dream field trips, established scholarships and even adopted children.
Honorees also receive mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor. The Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran partnerships around specific topic areas. Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs. The Milken Educator Collective connects recipients with shared content areas, grade levels or professional roles. Milken MeetUps are held across the nation to deepen learning and connection and expand innovation in education.
Honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum June 4-6, 2027, in Washington, D.C. There they will network with their new colleagues, veteran Milken Educators and other leaders about how to amplify their voices as beacons of excellence in the profession. Veteran Milken Educators hold a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in education. The Milken Family Foundation’s website is MFF.org.
