PETERSBURG, W.Va. — A Grant County teacher is the newest recipient of the Milken Educator Award.
During a school assembly Tuesday, Ashley Wilkins-Franks, an eighth grade English language arts teacher at Petersburg High School, was honored with the award, often hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching.”
“This is pretty much like an out-of-body experience,” Wilkins-Franks said on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.” “I’m not certain if I’m dreaming or this is real yet.”
State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt lead off the assembly at Petersburg High to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary. Wilkins-Franks was surprised when Milken Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop showed up to present her with the $25,000 award.
“It is abundantly clear that Ashley Wilkins-Franks has forged an unbreakable bond with her students, colleagues and community,” said Bishop, who is also a 2001 Virginia Milken Educator, in a statement. “She is not only strengthening students’ understanding and appreciation of rich English language arts curriculum, but is also modeling how to take pride and ownership of their education.”
It's a #Halloween trick that turned out to be a treat! Today Ashley Wilkins-Franks got the surprise of her career: a $25K #MilkenAward at @PetersburgHS. Watch the moment she heard her name called. Congratulations and welcome to the Milken Educator family! More about this… pic.twitter.com/IwD9MxbW5g
— Milken Family Fdn (@Milken) October 31, 2023
According to the Milken Family Foundation, Wilkins-Franks has used Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” to guide students through character trials in her classroom. Her students act as prosecutors and debate whether the main character of the story is guilty, building their presentation skills and curriculum competency.
Wilkins-Franks said on “Talkline” she also tries to connect students with West Virginia authors that might interest them.
“I try to pick books that connect to them. Right now, we’re reading “October Sky” by Homer Hickam who is a West Virginia author and went on to work for NASA and did some pretty incredible things with his life. I try to instill in them that not everybody they read about is out of their reach,” she said. “Homer was just like them studying in a very small high school in the middle of West Virginia.”
Superintendent Blatt called Wilkins-Franks “a true ambassador for the teaching profession.”
“Her mastery of content and student engagement encourages students to be invested in their learning and explore ways to deepen their English language arts skills and proficiency. She understands the importance of connecting with students and piquing their interests through classroom and instructional strategies,” Blatt said in a statement.
Wilkins-Franks love for school and teaching developed at a young age.
“I’ve always loved to read. As a little kid, I read everything I could get my hands on. My grandparents had a set of 1983 encyclopedias and I used to read those for fun,” she said with a chuckle.
Wilkins-Franks is among 75 recipients across the country this 2023-24 school year. Almost 3,000 teachers total have been honored for the Milken Educator Award.
Some recipients in the past have spent the $25,000 award on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships and even adopting children. It’s unknown what Wilkins-Franks will do with the prize money.
Wilkins-Franks will join other honorees at the Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in June 2024.