A D.C. teacher attended an assembly Monday morning thinking the school was getting honored for good test scores, but it turned into a big surprise when she was named one of the best teachers in the country and earned a $25,000 check.
“I have been lucky enough to teach every single student here right now,” Kelly Maranchuck told her students. “Not to make it too cheesy, but I do it for you guys, because I love you all.”
Presenters announced her as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award in front of hundreds of sixth and seventh grade students at BASIS Washington D.C. — a public charter school in Northwest.
“I had no idea,” Maranchuck told reporters. “I was slightly suspicious because I realized I had taught every single child in this room, but I thought that’s just a weird coincidence.”
She is one of around 75 teachers across the country who will win the award this school year and will be the sole recipient of the “Oscars of Teaching.”
“It only takes one teacher to change the course of a student’s life,” said Mike Milken, president of the Milken Family Foundation and co-founder of the honors.
Maranchuck is an English teacher and also helps set the agenda at the charter. She serves as senior curriculum coordinator and instructional coach for grades 5-12.
Milken pointed to one specific accomplishment that stood out as they were examining finalists for the award.
“The love of learning and love of reading that she has instilled in her students,” said Milken.
“One of the great challenges we have in our country is some how many kids are reading at grade level. Every one of her students reads at grade level and loves reading love stories.”
Maranchuck told WTOP that accomplishment is purposeful, explaining that her mission every year as an educator is to make her students hungry readers.
“I noticed right away that my students who loved reading accelerated in their classes much faster,” she said. “This is also an outlet for them and a way for them to learn more about who they are, what they like and where they want to go with their lives.”
She said every year she tries to get each individual student, even those who hate to read, to fall in love with just one book.
Many of her students are mythology nerds and have fallen for the Percy Jackson series and others in the fantasy genre, she said.
Others devour books by D.C.-native author Jason Reynolds, whose works include Ghost, All American Boys and Long Way Down.
“Someone who’s a Black male author living in D.C. has been incredible resource for them,” she commented.
She started at the school in 2021 as a fifth grade English teacher and the next year became the English department chair.
“Excellent educators like Kelly Maranchuck challenge students with rigorous lessons so they not only master grade-level content but are well prepared to take on any challenges in the next grade,” said State Superintendent Christina Grant. “Ms. Maranchuck also helps new and struggling teachers develop the skills they need to be effective in the classroom so more students can benefit from high-quality instruction. Thank you, Kelly and congratulations on receiving the Milken Educator Award for the District of Columbia.”
After the surprise assembly, Maranchuck called her mom to tell her about the honors and the cash prize.
“I have goose bumps right now,” her mother said tearfully on speaker phone when she heard the news.
When asked what Maranchuk planned to do with the $25,000 she said, “I have no idea. I’ll go to Disney World, I’ve always wanted to say that.”
The Milken Family Foundation will honor its 3,000th teacher this year with the Milken Educator Award.
All honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in June of next year, where they will be able to network with veteran Milken Educators.
