Two Florida Educators Honored with National Award
April 5, 2022
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Two Florida Educators Honored with National Award
~ Ashley Hernandez and April Crisci awarded $25,000 each from the Milken Family Foundation ~
Tallahassee, Fla., April 5, 2022 - Today, Ashley Hernandez, a high school mathematics teacher at Riverview High School in Sarasota County, and April Crisci, a kindergarten teacher at Westside Elementary School in Hernando County, were honored by the Milken Family Foundation during a surprise announcement for their dedication and commitment to providing students with a high-quality education. Hernandez and Crisci join an elite group of educators as two of only 60 nationwide to receive this year’s award.
“Congratulations to Ashley Hernandez and April Crisci. What an honor for two outstanding Florida educators to receive this prestigious award from the Milken Family Foundation,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “Florida is blessed to have high-quality educators, like Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Crisci, who positively impact student outcomes and work hard every day to ensure students reach their full potential.”
The Milken Family Foundation is celebrating 35 years of surprising and rewarding teachers. Stephanie Bishop, Vice President of the Milken Educator Awards and a 2001 Virginia Milken Educator, made today’s announcements at Riverview High School and Westside Elementary School.
“Teachers like Ashley Hernandez have a special gift for making students feel heard and valued,” said Vice President Bishop. “Her positive attitude and compassion for the transitions and challenges that high schoolers face create an environment where students can excel in their academic journey and beyond. By consistently elevating instruction at the classroom and school levels, Ashley is broadening her impact on students, peers and the community at large.”
“April Crisci exemplifies the forward-thinking strategies in education that Milken Educators strive to represent,” said Vice President Bishop. “Through encouraging classroom observations and bringing innovative instructional methods to Westside Elementary, she is strengthening the success of her students and supporting fellow teachers. The impressive abilities of the young students who leave her classroom speak for themselves: April’s influence is equipping them to spring forward in their education. I congratulate April and welcome her into the Milken Educator Network.”
Ashley Hernandez is an extraordinary teacher at Riverview High School who has impressive expertise in the area of mathematics. During Ashley’s 11 year tenure teaching in Sarasota County, she has connected with students in courses that range from Algebra 1A to Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics. Ms. Hernandez focuses her instruction on data-based decisions and ensures she provides practical learning experiences in each of her mathematics lessons. Ashley has encouraged her students to continue on a path to engage in more rigorous coursework and has grown the AP mathematics program at her school from 45 to 100 students.
April Crisci has served as a kindergarten teacher at Westside Elementary School in Hernando County for over ten years. Ms. Crisci is a lifelong learner who strives to grow as an educator and seeks out training opportunities to better her practice. April has promoted the idea of learning walks at Westside Elementary School to help her colleagues learn from one another. She has served on the English language arts district team to create curriculum maps and has hosted over 75 teachers as a model teacher and model classroom. Ms. Crisci also mentors pre-service educators as well as new teachers.
Described as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards provide recognition and unrestricted financial awards of $25,000 to exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering education excellence.
New recipients are invited to join the Milken Educator Network, a nationwide group of distinguished educators whose expertise serves as a valuable resource to fellow educators, legislators, school boards and others shaping the future of education. Florida has had 44 educators recognized with the Milken Award since 1998.
For more information about the Milken Educator Awards, visit www.milkeneducatorawards.org/.
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