Eagle View Elementary School teacher Katherine Bobby of Somerset, Pennsylvania, has just garnered a 2018-2019 Milken Educator Award.
Eagle View Elementary School in Somerset, Pennsylvania, must be immensely proud of Katherine Bobby, a third grade teacher at the school who has just garnered a coveted Milken Educator Award. She is the only Milken winner from the state of Pennsylvania this year, and is among the up to 40 honorees selected for 2018-19 school year.
Katherine says her decision to become a teacher was a gradual one. “I had always been comfortable around kids. Breaking down academic information and explaining it to others came naturally to me,” she remembers. “In middle school and high school I spent many evenings and weekends babysitting and tutoring in order to make money for my tuition. People often told me I would excel at teaching,” she continued. “I was also excited at the thought of carrying out my mother’s dream for herself; she had been an education major until financial strain made her drop out of college in 1970,” she concluded.
At her school, Katherine has a reputation for being an innovative leader who serves as an inspiration for both students and staff. She leads professional development, contributes to professional learning communities, serves on the English/Language Arts (ELA) Committee, and designed a framework for peer observations. In addition, she mentors both new and student teachers in Special Education and ELA. As part of her school’s Sunshine Committee, Katherine helps to create high morale and a positive school climate for staff. As an educator, she is known for concentrating on forming strong connections between home and school. Within her community, she organizes school food drives for a local food pantry.
Katherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education in 2005 from St. Francis University, a private Catholic liberal arts university located in Loretto, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
The Milken Educator Awards, which Teacher magazine has described as the “Oscars of Teaching,” has been honoring exceptional educators over 30 years. Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved to date, and for the promise of what they will accomplish as they continue through their careers. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 top teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who are dedicated to strengthening education.
Congratulations, Katherine Bobby!
