A Hutto ISD kindergarten teacher was surprised with the announcement of their selection as a winner of the Milken Educator Award on April 7.
What you need to know
Olivia Joseph, a kindergarten teacher at Howard Norman Elementary School, was announced as the winner of the award, which comes with a $25,000 cash prize and expenses-paid participation in the Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., in June.
Through her participation in the awards, which are funded by the Milken Family Foundation nonprofit, Joseph will receive mentorship opportunities intended to strengthen education practice and policy.
Joseph is the only Texas educator to receive the award in the 2025-26 school year, according to the foundation.
The details
The award was presented by representatives of the Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller, with remarks given by Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath during a school assembly.
About the program
The Milken Education Awards were created in 1987 to retain, attract and reward "the highest caliber" of teachers in the U.S. by philanthropist Lowell Milken, according to the TEA. Texas joined the Milken awards in 2000.
Thirty educators across the country are selected to receive the award each year.
