BATON ROUGE, La. - The Milken Family Foundation awarded two more Louisiana educators in their own separate ceremonies just hours apart yesterday.
Jay Weisman, who teaches math and social studies at Benjamin Franklin High School in Orleans Parish, and Marco French, principal at Queensborough Elementary School in Caddo Parish, are now among the newest recipients of this prestigious award. These surprise announcements came just one day after the March 14 award to East Feliciana Parish educator,
Laura Laiche.
Weisman and French both thought they were attending assemblies to celebrate student success with State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley but were quickly surprised when Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken announced the real reason for the gatherings.
Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. Along with the $25,000 prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,800 top teachers, principals, and specialists dedicated to strengthening education. Since the program began, 43 Louisiana educators have been named, with awards totaling over $1 million.
Honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles, where they will network with Milken Educator colleagues and other education leaders about how to increase their impact on K-12 education. Milken Educators also participate in the Milken Friends Forever mentoring program, in which freshmen Milken Educators receive personalized coaching on ways to elevate their instructional practice and take an active role in educational leadership, policy, and practice.