The crowd of students, educators, dignitaries and media were abuzz at Cranston’s Glen Hills Elementary School Tuesday morning as a special visit from Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green turned into an unexpected surprise: Someone would be receiving the prestigious $25,000 Milken Educator Award. Heads began to turn, with people asking — who could it be?

As the wave of excitement washed through the gym, Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Jane Foley announced that kindergarten teacher Maria Santonastaso is Rhode Island’s sole 2024-25 Milken Educator Award recipient.

But wait — there’s more!

Santonastaso’s commitment to education not only earned her the award and its accompanying $25,000 cash prize, but also unlocked access to a nationwide network of pioneering professionals working to shape the future of education.

The presentation marked the launch of a historic Milken Educator Awards season that will welcome the 3,000th Milken Educator into the national network.

“We applaud Maria Santonastaso’s commitment to providing her students with a strong foundation that prepares them for a lifetime of learning,” said Foley, herself a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator. “At such a young age, Maria’s students are fortunate to learn under her watchful eye as she ensures their continued academic growth, engagement in hands-on activities and individualized instruction. Congratulations, Maria! We know the Milken Educator Network will benefit from your valuable experience and passion for teaching.”

“As a passionate advocate for strong, data-driven literacy instruction, Maria has inspired a love of reading that empowers students to excel,” said Infante-Green. “We are tremendously grateful for her contributions to Rhode Island education and look forward to the continued positive impact she will make on her students and the profession as a Milken Educator.”

Up to 45 educators coast to coast will be honored with the Milken Educator Award in 2024-25. Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards continue to inspire educators, students and entire communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to consider a career in education. This season will reach more than $75 million in individual cash prizes since the awards’ inception in 1987 and over $145 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.

Outstanding educators like Santonastaso 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.

More about Maria Santonastaso

Setting a Foundation of Excellence: Through a multifaceted approach of mindfulness, collaborative teaching and project-based learning, Santonastaso has created a nurturing classroom environment for her kindergartners at Glen Hills Elementary School. Santonastaso sparks curiosity, creativity and peer interactions as she pairs her students with fourth-grade “buddies” and leads Socratic seminars. Using student data, she prioritizes early literacy skills and works with fellow faculty members to ensure that all students receive individualized instruction. Also incorporating interdisciplinary, inquiry-based curriculum through the state-sponsored Kindergarten Curriculum Project, Santonastaso engages students in hands-on assignments, like a wild-animal research project concluding with student-led presentations and a showcase for parents and families. This exciting unit has garnered visits from district and state officials, as well as a live owl visit from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Lending a Helping Hand: Leading with a positive mindset and desire for lifelong learning, Santonastaso has earned the respect of students and colleagues alike. She participates in Aligning the Learning Day by staying after school to provide additional academic support for students. A supervisor for student teachers at Glen Hills, Santonastaso opens her classroom to observation while working to refine her own instruction and classroom management.

Modeling Active Leadership: Santonastaso’s experience broadens out to the community, where she is an adjunct professor of early childhood education at Rhode Island College (her alma mater), an active member of the early childhood advisory committee and a contributor to the college’s early childhood STEAM curriculum. Additionally, she served as an Educator Preparation Program reviewer for the Rhode Island Department of Education, where she assisted with the evaluation process and ensured that aspiring teachers received high-quality training. Outside of the classroom, Santonastaso is a member of the school improvement team, teaches an after-school yoga class for students, coordinates a cheer squad for sporting events, attends PTA meetings and guides summer kindergarten orientation.

Education: Santonastaso is a two-time Rhode Island College graduate. In 2014, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in early childhood education and a Bachelor of Science specializing in severe intellectual disabilities. In 2019, she received a master’s degree in education in reading.

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 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.

About the Milken Educator Awards: ‘The Future Belongs to the Educated’

The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.