SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2026) — This typical Tuesday morning was turned upside down for Excel Academy Charter High School—in the very best way. Starting with a special visit at an all-school assembly from Massachusetts Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, the true reason for the gathering began to unfold when Jennifer Fuller, Milken Educator Awards vice president, took the stage to announce a life-changing surprise for one exceptional educator: Elizabeth Metts.
As visiting dignitaries, students, colleagues and media erupted in applause, an unrestricted $25,000 check was rolled out for Metts, Massachusetts’ newest Milken Educator Award recipient. Completely unaware she was in consideration for the national honor, Metts, a ninth grade history teacher and team leader, made her way to the front of the stage to accept the well-deserved surprise.
“Elizabeth Metts is an outstanding educator who makes learning enjoyable and relevant to students’ lives,” said Fuller, herself a 2017 Texas Milken Educator. “She encourages students to harness history’s powerful lessons in their own journeys of self-discovery. This kind of high-level discourse builds independent thinkers who care deeply and contribute fully to the world around them. Congratulations, Elizabeth, and welcome to the Milken Educator family!”
Metts is Massachusetts’ 52nd recipient since The Bay State joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1997 and the sole Milken Educator Award recipient for Massachusetts this 2025-26 school year.
“Our schools are better because of educators like Elizabeth Metts,” said Commissioner Martinez. “Besides being a teacher to her history students, she mentors and coaches other teachers and people aspiring to be educators. Her commitment and the commitment of other educators like her have ripple effects in schools and in the teaching profession, and I am grateful for her work.”
Today Metts joins a national network of over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the Awards’ nearly 40-year history as the nation’s preeminent teacher-recognition program. Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Awards initiative has no formal application or nomination process. Outstanding K-12 educators are sought out while early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award.
This season will reach more than $76 million in individual cash prizes since the Awards’ first presentation in 1987 and over $146 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to broaden their impact and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education.
More About Elizabeth Metts
Harnessing History’s Lessons: In East Boston, ninth grade history teacher Elizabeth Metts is shaping how students experience the subject. At Excel Academy Charter High School, Metts leads a flipped, self-paced classroom rooted in hands-on learning. Students engage in gallery walks, debates, individualized student work, and research projects, with frequent feedback and learning pods that promote ownership of their progress.
Making Learning Enjoyable: Metts accommodates the needs of all students by leading a differentiated classroom and creating an environment where they feel seen and are held accountable to high standards of excellence. Her innovative strategies, including “Writing Wednesdays” and “Map Analysis Thursdays,” build critical thinking and academic confidence. Since her arrival, student participation in AP World History has doubled—developing a vibrant group of learners who not only immerse themselves in the evolution of civilizations, cultures, and social advances around the world, but also gain an appreciation for their place in it. Metts’ classroom welcomes students in between periods and long after the bell rings, with alumni often returning to demonstrate her impact on their lives.
A Team Player: Metts’ influence extends across the campus, where she works with staff to reinforce academic strengths and address areas of need. She is ninth grade team leader, serves on the hiring committee, mentors new teachers, leads professional development, coordinates the National Honor Society, is a Modern Classroom Project expert mentor, and leads a homework club after school. Committed to preparing the next generation of teachers, Metts coaches through the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education – her alma mater.
Education: Metts earned her Bachelor of Arts in art and archaeology from Princeton University in 2013, a Master of Arts in arts administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2016, and a Master in Effective Teaching (MET) from the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education in 2018.
The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits
- The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
- Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators (AME) promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs. Milken MeetUps abound across the nation to deepen learning and connection and expand innovation in education.
- The honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum June 12-14 in Washington, D.C., where they will network with their new colleagues, as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders, about how to further develop their voice into roles that lead to real change.
- Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.
Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.
