2003 MILKEN EDUCATOR
AWARD RECIPIENTS
Alexander B. Carter
C. D. Hylton High School - Woodbridge, VA
At C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, social studies teacher Alex Carter instills students with the notion that they can do anything they set their minds to accomplish. He uses storytelling, technology, lectures and interactive projects in his instruction, and shares experiences from his frequent trips to Europe to make lessons relevant and interesting for his students. Mr. Carter engages students in college-level history games that stimulate their minds as well as their competitive spirit. His approach has resulted in a consistently high passing rate on the World History Standards of Learning (SOL) test-usually as high as 98 percent. As chair of the Social Studies Department and lead teacher for the World Humanities program, Mr. Carter always seeks ways to add elective classes to the curriculum and encourages colleagues to design new course ideas.
Raegan P. Rangel
Frederick County Middle School - Winchester, VA
Eighth-grade mathematics teacher Raegan Rangel uses hands-on activities involving real-world problems to encourage critical thinking among her students at Frederick County Middle School in Winchester. She uses quilting to teach pupils geometry concepts, and dance choreography to illustrate transformations. Mrs. Rangel has incorporated her lessons with graphing calculators, multimedia presentations and other best practices to make learning concrete and visual. In the past two years, her students had a 100 percent passing rate on the Algebra I Standards of Learning (SOL) test. As Lead Math Teacher, Mrs. Rangel trains teachers on the importance of working with manipulatives and calculators to reach diverse learners. She also plans staff development opportunities for middle school teachers throughout the county. Prior to working at Frederick County Middle School, Mrs. Rangel taught music at a school in Costa Rica.