It got pretty loud inside the gymnasium at Cinnaminson High School as colleagues, students and dignitaries cheered for teacher Riley Gartland as she made her way down the bleachers.
Wiping away tears, Gartland made it into the arms of Jane Foley, vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, who named Gartland their educator award recipient on Oct. 11. She is the first teacher in Cinnaminson to receive it.
“I think I just said earlier to some of my students, I teach math, not English, so I’m not really one for all the words,” Gartland said after hearing from former recipients of the Milken Educator Award.
“… Thank you so much,” she added. “I’m not super dressed for the occasion … It’s awesome to be here with all you guys, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I do this because of you.”
According to Foley, the Milken Family Foundation believes educators have the most important job in the country.
“(They) have the responsibility of preparing all of you for a bright future,” she explained. “Research and our own personal experience tell us that the single most important education element determining how much you will learn in school each year is the quality of the educators that you encounter every year.
“The good teachers make a difference.”
The Milken Foundation is traveling the country to surprise and present Milken awards to outstanding teachers.
“The national Milken Award is so prestigious,” Foley noted. “They call it the Oscars of teaching. It’s one big surprise; you can’t apply, we don’t accept nominations, you don’t find us, we find you. We are looking, we are searching for the best of the best.
“This teacher has the potential to be a leader for the future for decades to come,” she added, and this teacher (Gartland) is an unsung hero doing great work (that remains) relatively unknown.”
At Cinnaminson High, Gartland creates a safe space for learning while setting high standards for her students. She teaches ninth, 11th and 12th-grade math. In the six years she has been in education, she has already made great strides by taking the accelerated calculus program from one class of 20 to two full sections, according to the foundation.
A role model outside her classes, Gartland’s classroom is often full of students at lunch. She serves as a National Honor Society advisor, planning the induction ceremony and reception, as well as chaperoning the prom and a senior class trip to Disney World.
Gartland is also active in professional development and committed to a positive school environment. She leads the Sunshine Committee, which aims to improve teacher morale and reward colleagues’ commitment to the school.
Gartland is one of 75 educators nationwide who are receiving the Milken award and a $25,000 prize during the 2023-’24 school year. She will get an all-expenses paid trip to the Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles next June and network with other winners as she gets mentorship opportunities.
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the foundation in 1987. Created by Lowell Milken, they give public recognition to elementary- and secondary-school teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country.
