Meet the Indiana math teacher who won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award

A Johnson County elementary teacher won the national Milken Educator Award on Tuesday for her work in student engagement and for improving student achievement in her fourth-grade math student.

Angela Fowler is a fourth-grade math teacher at Grassy Creek Elementary in the Clark-Pleasant School Corporation and was surprised with a $25,000 check, along with the recognition, that she can now use for whatever she wants.

Fowler said in a gym full of cheering students that she was shocked to be receiving the award and thanked all of her fellow educators who work with her at the school.

"I found a home in math, and I love math," Fowler said. "I love teaching math, and I can't wait to see where that takes me. But again, none of that would be possible without my students."

The Milken Educator Awards are given out yearly to various educators across the country and are meant to celebrate and elevate the teaching profession and hopefully inspire other young professionals to join it.

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The recipients of the award are early to mid-career educators and are awarded for what they have achieved so far and for the promise of what they might accomplish in the future.

Fowler was chosen for how she engages her students and for her creativity and leadership in the classroom, Jane Foley, a senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards and a Milken Educator from Indiana’s 1994 class said in a press release.

“Her care and compassion create an environment where every student feels welcomed, valued and motivated to learn,” Foley said. “I am proud to welcome Angela into our Milken Educator Award family and look forward to the contributions she will bring to our national network.”

Through her work Fowler, has helped her fourth-grade math students grow and improve throughout the school year and has provided extra support through small group instruction, after-school tutoring and engaging students with “number talks” that help them understand patterns in problem-solving.

Fowler has also planned math nights for families to learn about the school’s math curriculum, and she serves as the curriculum representative for fourth grade and leads the school’s math professional learning community – supporting other teachers with professional development and workshops on how to better engage students in math concepts.

Patrick Spray, superintendent of Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation, said that Fowler is the perfect example of the kind of impact teachers can have on students and the community.

“The Milken Award is reserved as a very prestigious award for educators across the United States and we are very proud that one of our teachers was honored by this award,” Spray said in a press release.

Besides her classroom work, Fowler also leads the Grassy Creek’s Girls on the Run club, which helps her students build confidence, kindness and decision-making skills. She also co-chairs her school’s Riley Week initiative, which raises money and awareness for Riley Hospital for Children.

Indiana Secretary of Education, Katie Jenner, also thanked Fowler for all of her hard work on Tuesday and congratulated her on making a difference in her students' lives.

"Great teachers change lives," Jenner said. "And there’s no doubt that Angela is changing lives for the better, both inside and outside the classroom.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana elementary school math teacher wins Milken Educator award