Teacher gets $25K shock

In front of 700 students, a state senator and a host of Texas educators, a Laureles Elementary School teacher received the $25,000 Milken Educator Award.

Zulema Williams-Santa Ana was surprised at a Thursday morning assembly when a representative from the Milken Family Foundation called her name, telling her she'd been chosen for one of the country's most prestigious education awards.

"We consider Zulema to be a representative of excellence in education," said Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Awards. "Even in a high performing school district, she's outperforming her peers."

The third-grade teacher broke down when the award was announced. The entire student body stood up and cheered.

Eighty teachers around the nation received Milken Educator Awards this year. They were chosen after a long selection process, including numerous consultations with state and local education agencies.

"I wouldn't change this job for anything in the world," Williams-Santa Ana said after receiving the award. "We work together as a team here...it makes a big difference."

Williams-Santa Ana is the first Los Fresnos educator to receive the Milken Award, which was founded in California in 1987. Since then, 2,030 awards have been distributed.

Awardees are encouraged to stay active in the Milken Educator Network, a group of educators and business leaders from across the country, who engage in a long-term dialogue with fellow educators, legislators and school boards.

Thursday's public ceremony was also intended to send a message to Laureles students who might one day choose a career in education. They gasped when Foley announced how much the award was worth. But when Williams-Santa Ana took the stage, they were silent, attentive.

"You must always dream big," she told the 700 students.