An Ohio Hi-Point Career Center 11th- and 12th-grade English teacher Ryan Gilbert received the surprise of a lifetime Thursday, Nov. 30, during a special assembly at his school.
Thursday morning, students, educators and media gathered at OHPCC for what was first thought to be an all-school assembly with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Interim Director Jessica Voltolini.
Voltolini lauded the school’s partnerships in the community and efforts to customize learning for students, and teachers’ dedicated work to prepare students for their future careers in so many innovative ways.
Then the event quickly changed course when the ODE interim director welcomed Milken Educator Awards Senior Program Director Greg Gallagher to the podium for an important presentation.
Gallagher explained to the crowd about the prestigious Milken Educator Awards, which will be presented to up to 75 recipients across the country for 2023-24. Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987.
Created by Lowell Milken, the awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education.
Gallagher informed the many engaged students that one of their teachers there in the meeting room that day would be the school’s first ever Milken Educator Award winner.
Pupils and others in the assembly quickly popped to their feet to offer a standing ovation when Gilbert was announced the winner and the recipient of the $25,000 cash award, which he can use however he chooses.
“Ryan Gilbert is inspiring his students to not only care about the curriculum, but also to explore their passions and future endeavors through an academic lens,” Gallagher said. “Every day Ryan finds new ways to illustrate how his lessons will translate outside of the classroom and into life. I am thrilled to see how his zest for education will inspire the national Milken Educator Network moving forward. Congratulations, Ryan.”
Now in his 16th year of teaching at OHPCC, Gilbert is a native of Monroe, Mich., and a University of Toledo graduate. He said he was blown away by all of the support and the national honor.
“It’s overwhelming in an absolutely wonderful way,” he said. “Education can feel thankless, although it never feels thankless here. Every student in my classroom makes me feel appreciated. My administration makes me feel appreciated and supported. And I couldn’t do what I do without my wonderful colleagues, too.
“It’s been one of those years that has just felt different. This is my last year teaching English and next year, I’ll be moving into career tech, teaching cyber security.
“At times I’ve wondered about my career path. But this just affirms this is where I’m supposed to be.”
The Milken Educator Award recipients are completely unaware of their candidacy for the award, Gallagher noted. Recipients cannot apply; they are sought out while early to mid-career for what they have achieved – and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the award.
In addition to the recognition and the cash reward, the honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in June 2024, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
The Milken Family Foundation noted Gilbert’s in-depth creativity in his classroom, including his infamous “Beowulf” Honor English unit at OHPCC. Students gather around a makeshift “fire” drawn on the whiteboard and Gilbert can be found playing the harp while sharing “Beowulf” passages. The class dissects the symbolism in the epic poem while enjoying Gilbert’s music and indulging in food from that time.
Each week, Gilbert engages students by highlighting different ELA skills in each class as well. Mondays, students explore argumentative writing, Tuesdays are for general and creative writing practice, Wednesdays prompt short story workshops, while “TED Talk” Thursdays weave project presentations into curriculum.
Then on Fridays, he uses students’ varying interests as framework for “20% Time,” or “Genius Hour” Fridays. Students choose what they study during these classes, researching and presenting on their respective subjects. Allowing students time to pursue their passions not only helps Gilbert increase engagement, but also serves as an opportunity for students to identify areas of interest for possible future career paths.
His ingenuity impressed the ODE interim state director as well.
“Ryan Gilbert helps students take ownership of their learning by creating engaging learning environments and meaningful experiences that allow them to discover their personal interests and passions, leading to potential career paths,” Voltolini said. “I am excited to congratulate Ryan on being named a Milken Educator Award recipient and applaud his work as a leader and mentor for students, colleagues and the entire Ohio Hi-Point Career Center community.”
Relating to his leadership at OHPCC, Gilbert serves as the lead English instructor and works to expand College Credit Plus options at Ohio Hi-Point. He also utilizes structure from nonprofit NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to encourage students to write novels, inspiring a love of writing among students so strong it yielded several published pieces and contest wins.
Additionally, he is an adviser for the National Technical Honor Society and advises the drama club, helping to build students’ public speaking and interview skills. Gilbert also serves as a Resident Educator Program mentor.
Gilbert has presented at the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts and serves as the lead teacher for Ohio Hi-Point’s networking professional development at Sentinel Career Center.
Overall, the 2023-24 Milken Educator Awards will reach $75 million in individual financial prizes spanning the length of the initiative and more than $144 million invested in the national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession.
Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around a specific topic area; and Activating Milken Educators (AME) promotes group collaboration in and across states to tackle pressing educational needs.
Ryan Gilbert, left, reacts Thursday to receiving the Milken Educator Award, presented to him by Greg Gallagher. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)
Ohio Hi-Point Career Center students display the monetary award received by teacher Ryan Gilbert through his Milken Educator Award. Pictured are, from the left, Abby Stinemetz (Marysville), Alyson Swinehart (Marysville), Kade Smith (Kenton), Duskin Jones (Benjamin Logan), Logan Kiser (Graham), and Adryanna Bailey (Mechanicsburg), while ODE Interim Director Jessica Voltolini looks on at the far right. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)
