Hylton High School math teacher receives Milken Award called “Oscar of Teaching”

C. D. Hylton High School mathematics teacher Lauren Anne Wilson is the seventh PWCS educator to win the prestigious Milken Educator Award, often called the “Oscar of Teaching.”

The national recognition honors her exceptional teaching ability, dedication to her students, and leadership in her school and community. At a schoolwide assembly on March 3 Wilson was surprised when she received the Milken Educator Award and $25,000 from Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder Michael Milken.

“Ms. Wilson’s talent and determination are delivering great returns for the students and staff at Hylton,” said Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Walts. “We are tremendously proud of what she’s accomplished and that she is now the seventh Prince William County Public Schools teacher to receive the Milken award. Few other school systems have such an illustrious team.”

“Lauren’s career exemplifies caring, leadership, and initiative,” Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Steven R. Staples said. “She is a continuous learner and motivator, researching and implementing innovative practices that help students excel while sharing her knowledge, wisdom, and friendship with teachers just entering the field.”

Lauren Wilson, a Hylton graduate, knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher and decided to focus on high school math after discovering her gift for tutoring her peers while in high school.

Today she pushes the limit of what her Advanced Placement Calculus BC, Functions/Analytic Geometry, and Algebra I students believe they can learn, while instilling the confidence to succeed in and out of the classroom.

Her students’ Advanced Placement scores have remained consistently high, whatever the number of students in her class, with 90 percent or more receiving qualifying scores of 3 or higher over all the years of her teaching.

She is known for her ability to motivate, inspire, and engage students and colleagues alike.

Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Virginia and a Master of Education from the University of Mary Washington. For the first 12 years of her career, Lauren coached varsity soccer, varsity volleyball, and JV volleyball.

The prestigious Milken Educator Award was presented to Buckland Mills Elementary School teacher Angie Michelle Wytovich in the 2014-15 school year