COLUMBIA, S.C. — An elementary school teacher in Orangeburg County is the recipient of a major national award for her work in the classroom.
It was a packed gymnasium Friday morning where the faculty, students, and parents gathered for what they thought was an assembly welcoming South Carolina Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver.
But the crowd quickly discovered there was more to the assembly than they initially thought.
"Something excellent has happened, that's your first clue for the day," said Dr. Joshua Barnett, representing the Milken Family Foundation as CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.
After multiple clues were given to the audience, students helped unveil the prize of $25,000 that would be given to a teacher at Dover Elementary School.
"Who is the recipient, do we want to know?" Barnett asked. "The Milken Educator Award goes to Amanda Fair-Coles!"
The Milken Educator Award honors up to 75 recipients across the country, acknowledging outstanding K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists who help further excellence in education.
"I never would have thought, never. I didn't see this coming at all," Fair-Coles said. "To award an educator in front of colleagues, students, school, family, I think it's a motivator for everyone to see that our hard work doesn't go unnoticed."
"I know how much work she puts in and just that reward for her, to know that all the hard work she does - it paid off," Fair-Coles' colleague, Shandra Moorer, said. "And I know it paid off for her students, but now she can have something just for her."
Fair-Coles has taught kindergarten and first-grade students. She's even created a song in her class to help teach math and phonics, which has helped them score higher on assessments.
"I like to think of my classroom as student-centered, where I help develop my students into critical thinkers," Fair-Coles said.
Chosen for her ability to foster a nurturing environment that always celebrates growth, Fair-Coles challenges and encourages her students to reach solutions independently.
"I have first graders and I notice when they recognize their abilities and see their success and see how much they've grown, it naturally motivates them to continue to want to be successful," Fair-Coles said.
Fair-Coles is the 63rd South Carolina educator to receive the Milken Family Award since the first award was presented in 1987.