Ed Nichols: ‘Kelsey Cooper will return knowledge to Madison City Schools’
MADISON – It was as much of an honor for her team as it was for Kelsey Cooper.
Receiving the award, Cooper relayed that message, as did Dr. Ed Nichols, Superintendent of Madison City Schools.
During his many years as an educator, Nichols doesn’t recall working for a school system that had a winner of the Milken Educator Award. He was working for Decatur City Schools when a teacher with Morgan County Schools received the honor.
“They don’t ration the award by state. Each state does not have a teacher that receives the award,” Nichols said.
Only 35 Milken awards are presented across the country.
Cooper started her association with Discovery as a student teacher. After college, she secured a teaching assignment and, after working in the Madison district, eventually was the leader for the math department.
Cooper vigorously established an environment conducive for learning. For example, Cooper talks daily one-on-one with her students daily.
“Mrs. Cooper has distinguished herself in her profession,” Nichols said. “She will help the district because she will be connected across the United States with other winners of the Milken Award. She will bring back so much to the district from receiving the award.”
Employees with Milken Award Educators exercise extreme constraints to keep each presentation ceremony as a secret to the recipient. In Madison, only Discovery Principal Jamie Hill and Nichols knew about the planned ceremony. Nichols said he had a ‘good cover’ because he told everyone that he was going to Discovery to recognize the school’s status as the top middle school in Alabama by Niche.
Little is known about the selection process for a Milken winner. “The selection does not involve a nomination process. Mrs. Cooper had no idea that she had been nominated. She was totally surprised,” Nichols said.
“My greatest fear was that Mrs. Cooper would hyperventilate,” Nichols said. “She will bring back so much to us from this experience.”
“Kelsey Cooper is a shining star at Discovery and in our community,” Discovery Principal Jamie Hill said. “She sets the example and carries it out every day, not only to her students, but to every adult in the building that aspires for greatness.”
