2002 Milken National Educator Award Recipients
Teacher - Pomona Elementary School
Grand Junction, CO
Grade: 2
Biographical Information:
Shawn Carstensen Hays sets high expectations
and motivates her second-grade students to
excel at Pomona Elementary School in Grand
Junction. Her “Book Talks” allow
students to work together as they share
information about topical reading materials.
As a result, even remedial readers make
significant gains while helping their
classmates learn. Mrs. Hays also conducts a
photography project in which students use a
disposable camera to take photos for a book
which they write and present to their
families. In addition to standard report card
grading, she implemented a continuum
evaluation process that includes regular
communication with parents to demonstrate
their children’s specific needs in
reading, writing and mathematics. A
Nationally Board Certified teacher, Mrs. Hays
also created a conflict management program
that helps students learn to resolve their
own problems both in and out of the
classroom.
Teacher - Frontier Elementary School
Colorado Springs, CO
Grade: 3
Biographical Information:
Kathy Wenninger’s third-grade classroom
at Frontier Elementary School in Colorado
Springs comes alive through the integration
of arts within a standards-based curriculum.
It is not uncommon to find her students
waltzing to Beethoven, taking an imaginary
flight to China, or creating medieval panels
in the course of math, history and creative
writing lessons. Ms. Wenninger's
instructional creativity helps the class
maintain focus on learning standards,
resulting in 85 percent of her students
scoring at or above grade level on
high-stakes exams. She is chairperson of the
arts curriculum committee and is on the
planning cadre for the district's new
“Arts and Ideas School,”
scheduled to open in 2004. In 2002, she
traveled to Japan as a Fulbright Scholar,
learning about the Japanese culture and
education system.
For additional information about this program please contact Lynn Bamberry at: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us.