Fourth grade Jessie Beck Elementary School teacher Allie Galas has received the $25,000 Nevada Milken Award. This is a national award that honors the top one percent of teachers in the country.
"I was kind of shocked," said Galas. "I'm really shy so it was kind of hard for me to come up in front of everyone, but I was excited, I had no idea that was coming."
Charlie Hall, a student of Galas, says, "She's really amazing because she's always helping us and supporting us and pushing us to do better."
The Milken Educator Award has been given out for nearly four decades and is considered the "Oscar" of teaching.
"We get recommendations from the whole country," said Jane Foley, senior vice president of Milken Family Foundation. "We look at the educators recommended, their practices, their leadership and we determine who represents the top in the profession."
Galas is the 94th recipient in Nevada since the state joined the Milken Educator Award's initiative in 1988. After receiving the award, she says she and all her fellow co-workers work hard every day to make sure their students are learning.
Galas tell us she enjoys teaching a student-centered class that helps children practice and learn leadership.
"Most my kids come in and they get to be teacher-mentor in the morning in math and they love it, and they build each other's confidence," she said.
Hall tells us one of her favorite things her teacher does with her students is morning meetings, "We have a poll of the day and then we have a fun fact and like a little question and then we watch a video about like empathy or something that we can do to be kind."
Galas says she's still not sure what she will do with the money but she's expecting a baby so it will help with that.
Congratulations Allie!
