{"id":24006,"date":"2025-01-15T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T22:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/milken-educator-award-is-complete-surprise-for-kirtland-elementary-school-teacher\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T04:46:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:46:05","slug":"milken-educator-award-is-complete-surprise-for-kirtland-elementary-school-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/milken-educator-award-is-complete-surprise-for-kirtland-elementary-school-teacher\/","title":{"rendered":"Milken Educator Award is complete surprise for Kirtland Elementary School teacher"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kirtland
Kirtland Elementary fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie reacts from the stands after being named as the recipient of the Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award on Wednesday at the school. (Brad Ryan\/Special to Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The Kirtland Elementary School gymnasium was brimming with excited students ready for a surprise presentation Wednesday morning, when the Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award, and a $25,000 prize, was presented to fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie.<\/p>\n

Candice Castillo, deputy secretary of Identity, Equity and Transformation for the Department of Public Education, was on hand to speak to the students. Jennifer Fuller, Milken Educator Awards vice president, presented the award.<\/p>\n

A number of dignitaries from San Juan County, including former recipients of the Milken Educator Award, were in attendance.<\/p>\n

Jay Boushee, Kirtland Elementary School principal, opened the assembly shortly after 9 a.m. by raising his arm and extending two fingers to gain the attention of the students, who quickly quieted, giving him their attention.<\/p>\n

A Navajo Nation Women Warriors color guard was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish, Din\u00e9 and English.<\/p>\n

Central Consolidated Schools Superintendent Steve Carlson introduced the dignitaries and Castillo, who greeted the students in kindergarten through sixth grade.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say this is the first time I go to a school that has a unicorn as a mascot, and I think that makes you like the coolest elementary school ever,\u201d said Castillo.<\/p>\n

\"Kirtland
Kirtland Elementary fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie reacts from the stands after being named as the recipient of Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award on Wednesday at the school. (Brad Ryan\/Special to Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kirtland
Kirtland Elementary fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie reacts from the stands after being named as the recipient of the Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award on Wednesday at the school. (Brad Ryan\/Special to Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kirtland
Kirtland Elementary fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie reacts from the stands after being named as the recipient of the Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award on Wednesday at the school. (Brad Ryan\/Special to Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Candice
Candice Castillo, deputy secretary of Identity, Equity and Transformation for the Public Education Department, embraces fifth grade teacher Rashinda Billie, recipient of the Milken Family Foundation\u2019s Oscar of Teaching Award, during a celebration Wednesday at Kirtland Elementary. (Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Jennifer
Jennifer Fuller, vice president of the Milken Family Foundation, with the students selected to show the amount of the money given to Rashinda Billie for the Oscar of Teaching Award, Wednesday at Kirtland Elementary School. (Brad Ryan\/Special to Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Rashinda
Rashinda Billie, center, receives the Milken Award of $25,000 from the Milken Family Foundation on Wednesday at Kirtland Elementary. Also pictured, from left: Kirtland Elementary School Principal Jay Boushee, Milken Vice President Jennifer Fuller, state Public Education Department Deputy Secretary Candice Costillo and Central Consolidated Superintendent Steve Carlson. (Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record)<\/span>Brad Ryan\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

She acknowledged and congratulated the students for reading 4,042 books and asked for a round of applause. She said adding up all the books she\u2019s read would require math, and asked the students how many loved math.<\/p>\n

She challenged them to invite friends, classmates and family to read books and to come back and tell their teacher and add them to the count.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that a deal?\u201d she asked the students, who responded in unison with a resounding \u201cYeeeessss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the most important place that you as a student can be at every single day?\u201d Castillo asked to an uproarious reply of \u201cSchool!\u201d<\/p>\n

She encouraged the students to make sure they put forth their best effort every day, to train their brain muscles to be the best they can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we all are here because we believe in you. We want to support you and want to see you succeed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Introducing Fuller, Castillo said she had come all the way from Santa Monica, California, representing the Milken Family Foundation, which has been a friend and supporter of education since 1987.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe earned her master\u2019s degree at the University of Texas at Arlington, and served as a teacher and the coordinator of leadership development in Texas for 21 years before she moved to California to join the foundation,\u201d Castillo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might not even know about the Milken Family Foundation, but in California, we heard about the excellence in your school,\u201d Fuller said. \u201cIn my job, I travel around the whole country visiting schools, but this is my only stop in your state, and we heard that there are great students at Kirkland Elementary. Is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

Without hesitation the children shouted, \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there is a special and exciting reason I am here. I came to tell you a secret. You know how hard it is to keep a secret,\u201d Fuller said. \u201cAnd before we leave today, you are all going to know the secret too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuller said she could just tell them, but it\u2019s kind of fun to guess, so she would give them some hints, beginning with the meaning of \u201cexcellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

A girl who raised her hand was called up front to help Fuller define the word.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, excellence is when someone does something really good, right,\u201d Fuller said. \u201cAnd I came all this way to remind everyone that educators have the most important job in our country, because they have the responsibility for preparing you for a bright future. We don\u2019t think educators give enough recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuller asked all teachers, staff, custodians, kitchen workers, peer professionals, Principal Boushee and Superintendent Carlson to stand for a round of applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why 35 years ago, a man named Lowell Milken created a program to honor talented educators. The program is called the Milken Educator Award,<\/a> Fuller said. \u201cWe look and search and go all over the country to find the best of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the teacher selection joins an elite team of award-winning educators.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis teacher gets an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles in April, where they bring it to go and meet with this all-star team,\u201d said Fuller.<\/p>\n

She called Noah down to help define what it means to receive a financial reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means money, Noah,\u201d she said when he struggled a bit.<\/p>\n

Preselected students were called down to hold up numbers representing the amount to be awarded. The students held up cards with $25, then more zero\u2019s were added as the total became $25,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to share the secret. Dr. Castillo, may I have the envelope please? The Milken Educator Award goes to Rashinda Billie,\u201d Fuller said, as the crowd went wild.<\/p>\n

This article was updated Jan. 15 to correctly report Candice Costillo\u2019s name and job title. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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