Math and science master teacher will join national network of 3,000 pioneering professionals working to shape the future of education
BIO, PHOTOS AND VIDEO
https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/charday-wilson
Charday Wilson, you are a $25,000 Milken Educator Award recipient! This afternoon, Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken delivered Wilson, a Logansport High School math and science master teacher, the surprise of a lifetime. The LHS alumna walked up to accept the prestigious honor as everything started to crystalize: The assembly with State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley was in her honor.
"Charday Wilson is a strong instructional leader, caring mentor, and dedicated member of her community," said Lowell Milken. "As a product of Logansport High School, Charday understands the school's goals and needs intrinsically and works with students and staff every step of the way to meet them. I look forward to the useful contributions she will bring to the national Milken Educator Award Network."
Wilson's return to Logansport, where she was born and raised, has been nothing short of inspirational. An LHS student herself, she advanced to become a successful collegiate athlete and first-generation college graduate. Now Wilson works tirelessly to coach teachers, educate students, and contribute overall to shaping Logansport's positive academic landscape. She was surprised with her unrestricted $25,000 Milken Educator Award in front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries and media: the very community that raised her.
"A foundation of any successful education system is its teachers. Today, we honor Charday Wilson who has gone above and beyond, setting the standard for excellence in her schools," said State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. "Her commitment to empowering fellow educators across the district has sparked growth and collaboration that has benefited the entire parish."
“ We are grateful for the Milken Foundation's commitment to recognizing the real difference-makers across our country,” said DeSoto Parish Schools Superintendent Clay Corley. “Ms. Wilson is the epitome of a servant leader and a shining example of what we call The DeSoto Difference. Her impact on student's lives and the Logansport community as a whole is immeasurable, and it is exciting to see her receive this most prestigious award.”
Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to "Celebrate, Elevate and Activate" the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. By the end of this season, more than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million will have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.
Outstanding educators like Wilson are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early- to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award.
Wilson is the third and final Milken Educator to receive the honor in Louisiana for the 2024-25 school year and the 53rd recipient in the Pelican State. Kyle Cook of Maplewood Middle School in Calcasieu Parish received his Award earlier this morning, Dec. 5, and Ashley Davis of Central Intermediate School in the Central Community School System was recognized with the Award yesterday, Dec. 4.
The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits
The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.
Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.