Congratulations are due to Laura Baker-Coronis, a high school math teacher from Connecticut who has earned a 2021 Milken Award. She is one of only 60 teachers nationwide to garner the coveted honor this year.
Currently, Laura teaches ninth graders at Ansonia High School in Ansonia, Connecticut. Her students use algebra to solve mysteries, compare cell phone plans based on data usage, design cars, and use real world data to make predictions and figure out which careers provide the most income. In the Cereal Box Challenge, a highlight of her geometry classes, Laura’s students design boxes to hold specific volumes, with constraints like production costs, graphics, and having to fit multiple boxes into specified shipping cartons. Every activity Laura designs centers around discourse, peer review, and teamwork Laura also emphasizes socialization, open communication, respect, and mutual commitment.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Laura serves as Math Department Chair, mentors student teachers, leads professional development in her district, and works on district committees for curriculum development and SRBI (Scientific Researched-Based Interventions). During the pandemic, Laura trained colleagues in Google Classroom, created instructional math videos to engage students, and helped re-vamp the curriculum to help students hit priority standards, despite the challenges of remote instruction. She also created a “problem bank” with thousands of sample problems for all teachers to use in their instruction in an effort to raise her school’s SAT scores.
Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2011 and her Master’s in Education in 2015, both from Southern Connecticut State University.
The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the award includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country whose work strengthens best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.
