D.C. Public School Assistant Principal Ariel Horton of Noyes Elementary School thought the full school assembly Thursday morning was to promote reading.
But minutes later, financier and Milken Family Foundation co-founder Michael Milken surprised Horton and many in the crowd at the school’s multipurpose room when he began talking about the great work teachers do.
“Teachers are the backbone of our educational system,” Milken said. “This is our mission, to bring recognition to teachers.”
Moments later, Milken, along with Interim State Superintendent of Education Antoinette Mitchell called Horton to the stage and presented her with a check for $25,000.
“For this school and all of the other kids in every school, this educator will represent the educators of America — the winner is Ariel Horton,” said the billionaire financier and civic leader, as the auditorium erupted in sustained applause.
Winners of the Milken Education Award are chosen during their early- to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish with the resources and opportunities that come with the award.
In Horton’s case, she has been at the school in Northeast D.C. for 13 years. After graduating from Howard University, she taught kindergartners math and science and served as a math coach. She became an assistant principal in June 2024.
“I am so grateful and any goodness you see in me is a reflection of this school community,” she said, while fighting back tears. “I have really grown up in this school. I am so inspired by my students. There are so many people this award could have been given to and should have gone too. It is because of you guys that we do this work.”
Milken award winners are not aware of their candidacy before it is announced they have won.
“Outstanding educators like Ariel Horton not only change lives, but also change the world,” Milken said. “As a teacher, coach and school leader, Ariel is dedicated to ensuring that everyone at Noyes Elementary is put on a path to success. We commend her for the positive impact she has made on every corner of the campus and welcome her into the Milken Educator Network. Congratulations.”
Moments after being presented the award, six past winners were introduced to Horton and extended congratulations to her.
Horton will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles, California, for the Milken Educator Awards Forum April 1-3. She is the 18th recipient since D.C. joined the program in 2003.
At the conference, winners can network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
She joins a network of more than 3,000 previous Milken Award winners, since the program started more than 40 years ago. It’s one of the nation’s preeminent teacher-recognition programs.
Some in the education community consider the award to be the “Oscars of Teaching,” and the Milken Family Foundation said it seeks to inspire students and entire communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession and “encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.”
Since the program began, Milken said more than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network.
“Exceptional educators like Ariel Horton are the heart of our schools and the foundation of student success in the District of Columbia,” Mitchell said. “Her dedication, leadership and passion for education exemplify the excellence we strive for in our school communities.”
Mitchell said the school system is grateful for the impact Horton has made on students, families and staff at Noyes Elementary.
“Ariel is selfless. She sees her success in the faces of her students every day,” Milken said. “This is what makes her so successful as an educator.”
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