Cinnaminson High School (CHS) math teacher Riley Gartland was awarded a Milken Educator Award this afternoon by the Milken Family Foundation.
Held this afternoon in the packed Commitment Gym at CHS, with dignitaries including local and state elected officials, NJ Department of Education leaders, and other regional leaders, the CHS cheerleaders and members of the marching band began the celebration in which Gartland was recognized by Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley along with New Jersey Department of Education Chief of Staff Julie Bunt.
Described as an “assembly” to staff and students, no one was aware of what today’s gathering in the gym would be about. As part of the ceremony, Dr.Foley shared some background on the Foundation and acknowledged the efforts of all teachers in making Cinnaminson High School a special place. Before announcing the recipient of one of the prestigious awards, Dr.Foley added that with the honor comes a $25,000 award.
Gartland, who was sitting amongst the students in the bleachers, said she could feel the excitement in the room but had no expectation of winning the award.
“I am still in shock, but it feels really awesome to be recognized, and I wouldn’t want to be recognized anywhere else besides here,” Gartland said.
Having graduated from Rowan University, Gartland has been a teacher at Cinnaminson High School her entire career, including her time as a student-teacher. In her acceptance speech, Gartland acknowledged the staff and students of CHS.
“I do what I do because of you.”
Having worked with Gartland as the National Honors Society co-advisor, Ms. Kate Laskowski knows how talented of a teacher Gartland is and how deserving she is of this recognition.
“Her ability to teach children where they’re at and bring them to a new understanding of math specifically is admirable,” Laskowski said. “I’ve seen it first hand – she is just so good!”
Like students and staff, Assistant Principal Dr. Kaitlin McCann also knew very little going into today’s assembly. She expressed how it was exciting that nobody knew what was coming.
“We didn’t know what they were coming for, we didn’t know what was going to happen, and we didn’t know the name of the person until they said it either,” Dr. McCann said. “I think that makes it super exciting also because we didn’t even realize who was going to be honored.”
Dr. McCann pointed out how often teachers usually do not get as much recognition as they deserve and acknowledged how special it is to see one of CHS teachers gain national recognition.
“It’s very exciting. I think we know every day from going into teachers’ classrooms that we have amazing educators here, I think exactly to what we heard our speakers say, they aren’t always recognized the way that they probably should be from all of the great things they do,” McCann said. “So it’s exciting to see somebody that we know that is a great educator receiving some national recognition from it.”
According to the Foundation’s website, the Milken Educator Awards is known as the “Oscars of Teaching.” The award recognizes top teachers across the country who are “early-to-mid career education professionals” who have made “impressive achievements” already in their careers and who show “promise of what they will accomplish in the future.” This year the Foundation will honor up to 75 educators.
