Cindy Gonzalez
OMAHA — A fifth-grade teacher who grew up on a farm outside Syracuse, in southeastern Nebraska, and now teaches at the local middle school was surprised Tuesday with a national Milken Educator Award, and the $25,000 prize that comes with it.
Leslie McIntosh’s hands flew up to her cheeks when hearing her name and realizing she was the reason for the all-school assembly.
Students cheered as she took center stage and let her colleagues and students know that she learns from them.
“I love my job,” she said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
McIntosh has been a teacher for 12 years, the last six teaching reading and language arts to fifth graders at the Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Middle School.
In a recorded account of the event, she said her hometown school district might not be “real flashy,” but it makes her proud.
“We’re a hidden gem in Nebraska, and I am just so proud to have grown up here and come back to be a teacher here for all of you.”
Sponsors of the award, touted as the “Oscar of Teaching,” focused on McIntosh’s roots in her community and in the profession.
She graduated from Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca High School, and her mother is a “seasoned educator” in the same district.
Stephanie Bishop, Milken Educator Awards vice president, said McIntosh empowers students and “uplifts her entire community.”
“Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of education and the enduring legacy of an educator who goes above and beyond to inspire and lead,” Bishop said.
When student scores in English Language Arts declined, McIntosh developed a plan, presented it to the school board and tried the tactics on fifth-graders.
“Her dedication paid off,” a media release said. Last year, 59% of fifth-graders showed proficiency under her guidance, compared to 46% of students statewide.
Among other achievements noted, McIntosh spearheads an annual weeklong summer school program known as “Summer Blast,” which offers kids science lab, computer coding, sewing, furniture-making and more.
Proceeds from the camp go to the school, and last year it raised more than $10,000.
McIntosh is the second and final recipient on the Milken Educator Awards tour in Nebraska this school year. Jacob Eitzen, a math teacher at Bellevue West High School, received the award Nov. 16.
Up to 75 recipients across the nation will get the award this year, which is kept hush-hush until announced at each school assembly.
More than $144 million has been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, the organization said. The intent is to celebrate the K-12 profession and inspire young people to pursue teaching as a career.
Recipients are sought out while in early-to-mid-career for achievements and the promise of what they will accomplish. In addition to $25,000 to do with as they wish, honorees get mentorship opportunities and get all expenses paid to a networking conference in Los Angeles.
McIntosh received a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011. She attended Doane University for postgraduate education, earning two master of education degrees.
“The success of her students shows the impact she is making every day,” said Nebraska Commissioner of Education Brian Maher. “We are thrilled to celebrate her work and are excited to see what she does in the future.”