Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Abbey Kidwell, Assistant Prinicipal at Clinton Elementary School in Clinton, Tennessee, who was recently honored as Tennessee’s 2023-24 sole recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award, which comes with a $25,000 cash prize. Kidwell is among recipients across the country who will be honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s historic, nationwide tour reaching the presentation of the 3,000th Milken Educator in 2024. Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” 2023-24 will reach $75 million in individual financial prizes spanning the length of the initiative and more than $144 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession and inspiring young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.
During the interview, Kidwell shares how she fell in love with teaching at an early age and talks about her journey as an educator to Assistant Principal, instructional leader and mentor. Kidwell oversees the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, visiting classrooms to address students’ individuals needs and collaborates with the district instructional coach, the English Language Arts (ELA) coach and the math coach to help students reach their maximum potential. Kidwell’s work has contributed to Clinton Elementary’ s consistent designation as a Tennessee Reward School for academic growth.
Kidwell discusses how and why she likes to start each day greeting students by name, and saying, “If nobody has told you, remember that I love you today,” during her morning announcements. She talks about leading the district’s new teacher academy and why it is so important to support new teachers, along with the district’s partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). She also talks about being able to share her expertise on a broader level, including serving on former Governor Bill Haslam’s Teacher Cabinet and School Safety Working Group, as well as presenting at the 2023 NEIT National Conference on increasing the effectiveness of district instructional learning teams. Kidwell wraps up with why the Milken Educator Award is so meaningful, and why she continues to be inspired by the educators around her and around our nation.
Visit http://www.clintonschools.org to learn more about Clinton Elementary School and Assistant Principal Abbey Kidwell. Visit http://www.mff.org to learn more about the Milken Family Foundation and the Milken Educator Award.
