St. Paul teacher wins $25K national teaching award
A St. Paul teacher has won a national teacher award and a big cash prize.
State and local officials joined teachers and students at an assembly at Highland Park Elementary in St. Paul to surprise 4th grade teacher Steve Abenth with the Milken National Educator award.
The honor comes with a $25,000 prize.
Abenth said he'll use the money to buy supplies for his classroom and start grad school.
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"The financial part of this award is going to help me continue my own education, get my master's and hopefully do that much more with my class every year," he said.
Abenth, who also leads a student choir at his school, said he's a proponent of using technology in the classroom to engage students.
"I guarantee a lot of this will not only go to my master's but get some of the things in my classroom I've been hoping to have but have never been able to," he said.
Abenth is one of 40 teachers across the country to receive the award this year.
The California-based Milken Family Foundation has given $63 million in awards to teachers since 1985.
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