Surprise! Northshore High Teacher Kelly Ryan Receives First Ever $25,000 Milken Educator Award in STPPS

Kelly Ryan got the surprise of a lifetime in front of her students, colleagues, state and local officials when she was presented with the prestigious Milken Educator Award by State Superintendent Cade Brumley and Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken. The award comes with a $25,000 cash prize that can be used however Mrs. Ryan chooses. Mrs. Ryan is the first teacher in St. Tammany Parish Public School System (STPPS) to receive the honor and is among up to only 75 honorees nationwide to receive the recognition during the 2023-24 season. 

“Kelly Ryan does a phenomenal job at Northshore High and without a doubt deserves this honor,” said STPPS Superintendent Frank Jabbia. “Our students are fortunate to have educators like her and it’s people like Kelly Ryan that make St. Tammany such a special place.”

Mrs. Ryan teaches AP Environmental Science, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and ACT Prep at Northshore High School. Her students are consistently engaged in activities and lessons that are standards based and encourage higher order thinking. Mrs. Ryan is a member of the Instructional Leadership Team and is very active in directing Peer Learning Communities to ensure student learning is taking place consistently and with fidelity. 

"People around the nation are starting to take notice at the academic gains we are making here in Louisiana," said State Superintendent Cade Brumley. "It's because of the hard work taking place at schools like Northshore High."

Mrs. Ryan is heavily involved in a variety of efforts that extend beyond the classroom. As moderator of the National Honor Society, she makes a huge impact as a mentor. She provides opportunities to students for them to grow and excel in areas such as community service, scholarship, character and leadership. Mrs. Ryan is also the tennis coach and moderator of the award-winning robotics club at Little Oak Middle School.

"We need to honor great teachers," said Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken. "We know you are going to keep doing great things and this is only the beginning."

Hailed by Teacher magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the goal of the Milken Educator Awards is to celebrate, elevate and activate the American teaching profession and inspire young, capable people to join it. The Milken Educator Award is not a lifetime achievement honor. Recipients are heralded while early to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities inherent in the Award.