News Release
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2015
Contact: Charles Pyle, Director of Communications, 804-371-2420
Julie C. Grimes, Communications Manager, 804-225-2775
Buckland Mills Elementary School teacher Angie Wytovich today received a $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award during a surprise assembly at the Prince William County school. The award was presented to her by Secretary of Education Anne Holton, Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples, and Milken Family Foundation co-founder Michael Milken in the school gymnasium filled with students and faculty members.
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards are designed to recognize and reward elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists who promote excellence and innovation in public education. Wytovich is the 40th Virginia educator to be recognized with the award since 1999.
Wytovich currently teaches second grade after being a third-grade teacher at Buckland Mills Elementary for nine years. She is passionate about working with English language learners and enjoys tailoring lessons to meet their needs. Within the student population, 26 different languages are represented.
“Teachers have one of the hardest jobs there is, and as such, we should make it a priority to recognize their achievements and honor their hard work,” Holton said. “Putting a spotlight on the dedication, commitment and passion of our educators is just one way we can do our part to acknowledge the work that they do to prepare our students to be vibrant, successful members of the new Virginia economy.”
“Angie Wytovich is known for her dedication to students and for her efforts to ensure that each child receives the appropriate attention necessary to succeed in the classroom,” Staples said. “Her passion for doing whatever it takes to help students succeed is a model for her profession.”
Known for her collaborative efforts, Wytovich serves on the school’s teacher leadership team, piloted a co-teaching model with a Title 1 mathematics specialist and worked to meet the requirements for Buckland Mills Elementary to become an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.
Wytovich earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2004 from Youngstown State University and is currently working toward an advanced degree.
Educators are recommended for Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards without their knowledge by a panel appointed by each participating state’s education department. Recipients of the awards are selected on the basis of multiple criteria related to instructional practice, student achievement, accomplishments outside the classroom and leadership.
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards were established in 1985. Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has distributed more than $65 million in awards to more than 2,600 educators across the country including $1 million in Virginia.###
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