Community / A.C.E. June 16, 2014 Portland Rose Festival parade in pictures Photos by Jan Landis Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association float Lee’s Association Lion and Dragon Dance Team Shu-Te Commercial High School (Taiwan) participants THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 PPS teacher Teresa Chan Seidel wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award Teresa Chan Seidel, a sixth-grade math teacher at Portland’s Robert Gray Middle School, was surprised this spring with an unrestricted Milken Educator Award at a school assembly. One of education’s most prestigious recognitions, the award comes with a cash prize of $25,000. Seidel is the first teacher in Portland Public Schools (PPS) to receive the award since 2008, when Bonnie Robb was honored. “The idea behind these awards is that everyone likes to hand out prizes to our heroes,” said Mike Milken. “We give Grammys to musicians, gold medals to Olympians, Nobels to scientists and others. But we give too little recognition to the people with society’s most important job — educators.” Seidel, the daughter of Asian immigrants, is committed to closing the achievement gap for students of color with high expectations for all. Her classroom is a place where students of any nationality and culture feel empowered to learn. Through collaborative and special- ized teaching techniques that play into students’ academic and cultural strengths, Seidel has developed a nuanced approach to learning that draws from her personal experience — and has also earned her an outstanding reputation. The student demographics at Robert Gray Middle School are changing, and Seidel has been involved in helping staff prepare to support a more racially and economi- cally diverse student population. Seidel has introduced tools and resources such as her “5 Questions to Ask Your Students of Color” guide as well as her “Snapshots” question- naire, which is a series of personal questions students answer on the first day of class to build bonds between their diverse backgrounds. EXCELLENT EDUCATOR. Teresa Chan Seidel (left), a sixth-grade math teacher at Port- land’s Robert Gray Middle School, high-fives students at her school after finding out at a surprise school assembly that she was awarded an unrestricted Milken Educator Award. One of education’s most prestigious recognitions, the award comes with a cash prize of $25,000. (Photo courtesy of the Milken Family Foundation) Both resources are designed to help foster a welcoming school environ- ment that honors diversity as a strength and gives both teachers and students tools to discuss issues such as race, culture, and identity. Seidel’s personal connection with her students is why students wil- lingly spend their lunches doing math homework in her classroom and nominate her as the teacher with the most “swag.” Seidel’s efforts outside the classroom are equally as important to her approach. Engaging the families of her students, she keeps in contact, if necessary, throughout the course of the academic year. The food backpack program she launched also provides lunches for the most financially needy, supporting them so they can develop academically. Programs such as these are reasons why she was recruited to teach at Robert Gray Middle School, and why everyone from her principal to co-workers, predicts she will remain committed to her mission of balancing the achieve- ment gap. Milken Educator Awards were created to attract, retain, and motivate outstanding talent to the teaching profession. Dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher Magazine, they are viewed by many as the preeminent teacher recogni- tion program in the U.S. Also separating the recognition from other awards is the fact that recipients have no idea they will be honored. Not only is the selection process confi- dential, but so is the real purpose of the school-wide assemblies at which the awards are presented. Since its inception in 1987, nearly 2,600 teachers have received Milken Educator Awards. To learn more, visit . TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Qualified small businesses will get at least 12 hours of technical assistance and training, tailored to meet the individual business development needs of each client. Prior to services being delivered, each client’s business development needs will be assessed and an individual Service Plan will document assistance to be provided. Indonesian Performing Arts of Oregon 3 8 2 6 The Asian Reporter is published on the first & third Monday each month. 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