Unsuspecting that she would soon be the center of attention, Anna Attebury, a first-grade teacher at White Pine Elementary School, sat alongside her students at a Wednesday morning assembly waiting for another teacher's name to be called as the winner of the Milken Educator Award.

"I had no idea that this was going to be for me," Attebury said. "I knew we had an assembly and important people were coming, but there are so many amazing teachers in our school that deserve an award like this one. I did not think it could have ever been me."

Attebury joined a network of more than 2,900 educators and leaders across the country as she accepted the award in front of her students and colleagues.

The awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987, "recognize teaching excellence publicly not only to inspire educators, but also students and entire communities about the importance of joining the teaching profession," a foundation news release said. Attebury is one of about 40 educators nationwide who will receive the honor, which has been described as "the Oscars of Teaching," this school year.

The award marked the third year in a row that an Idaho teacher has been chosen as a Milken Educator, the release said.

The Milken Educator Award includes a $25,000 cash prize that Attebury can use however she chooses.

"Attebury is an incredible STEM teacher and when you think about how important STEM education is across our country, she is creating future scientists and leaders out of these first-graders and is exceptional at it," said Milken Family Foundation Senior Program Director Greg Gallagher. "She is a leader in her school and in her district and helps to mentor other teachers. Not only is she a fantastic teacher herself but she is creating and leading other great teachers as well and I am pleased to celebrate her today with this well-deserved award."

Attebury's students and the school's students overall have shown steep improvements in test scores and overall academic achievement, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said, asking that teachers and students give themselves a pat on the back and a round of applause for their improvement.

Education Week Newspaper's recent quality counts report ranked Idaho as No. 17 for student achievement among all states and the District of Columbia.

"In her teaching and leadership, Anna Attebury exemplifies our goals for Idaho elementary students, from literacy and STEM skills to positive behavior," Ybarra said in the release. "Her energetic, project-based approach clearly works: During the 2021-22 school year, her first-graders averaged 127% growth in reading achievement and 111% growth in math. She also leads an after-school STEM club for grades 1 through 5, exploring everything from 3D printing to computer coding and drones. Plus, she heads up White Pine's Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports team, mentors new teachers and works with students who have learning disabilities. She's amazing, and it's no wonder she has earned this remarkable award."

School officials praised Attebury and her ability to solve problems, work hard and give education a good name in the state.

"We're a relatively small charter school system, and we have to do things differently — better," said Ron Cote, executive director of White Pine Charter Schools in the release. "Anna fits our system perfectly, with a focus on the whole student, not just academics. She's nimble like charter schools need to be: See a problem, fix a problem. And, she embodies our focus on whole student formation: teaching to high academic standards, guiding good citizenship, and making sure the kids are OK in their lives. … I believe I can speak for White Pine in saying 'we are proud of her.'"

Along with the $25,000 checks, the honorees also will attend an all-expensespaid Milken Educator Awards Forum in April in Los Angeles, where they will network with new colleagues and veteran Milken Educators about how to increase their impact on K-12 education, the release said.

Unlike other teacher recognition programs, the Milken Educator Award has no formal nomination process or application, making searching the awards out impossible. The foundation works with the the states' boards of education to find teachers the foundation's leaders feel deserve the recognition.

"Candidates are sourced through a confidential selection process and then reviewed by blue ribbon panels in each state," Gallagher said. "The most exceptional candidates are recommended for the award, with a final selection being made by the Milken Family Foundation."