Hightstown Elementary School Educator Wins Prestigious Milken Award

HIGHTSTOWN, NJ – A fourth-grade teacher from Grace Norton Elementary School won the prestigious national Milken Educator Award.

Taylor Trost from East Windsor Regional School District was presented with the award from Milken Family Foundation which includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. The award honors outstanding educators across the country for excellence in and outside the classroom.

Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Jane Foley and Assistant Commissioner of Education Kathy Ehling presented the Award at a schoolwide assembly in front of cheering students, proud colleagues, and dignitaries.

Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," Milken Educator Awards inspire and uplift with the unique stories of educators making a profound difference for students, colleagues and communities.

"I am delighted to celebrate Taylor Trost today and welcome her to the Milken Educator Network," Foley said. "Taylor's ability to bring lessons to life, her sustained commitment to student growth, and her demonstrated, positive leadership in and out of the classroom make her an outstanding representative of our national circle of excellence."

This school year, the Awards will honor up to 75 recipients from across the country. Around $75 million in individual financial prizes will be given out and more than $144 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to "Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate" the K-12 profession and inspiring young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.

"I congratulate Taylor Trost, an education innovator at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary School, on her Milken Educator Award," said Acting Commissioner of Education Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan. "Taylor captivates students with engaging, inclusive teaching methods and her creative approach results in impressive achievement gains in reading and mathematics. Taylor's leadership extends beyond the classroom, fostering mentorship and pioneering remote learning during the pandemic. Her dedication to ongoing communication with parents is a testament to her commitment to student success."

Trost received a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and English literature from Rowan University in 2015 and a master's in educational leadership from Montclair State University in 2023.

Her classroom is described as a hub of innovation and inclusivity, reflecting her commitment to ensuring that every student receives a high-quality education.

Her fourth-grade inclusion class is grounded in project-based learning where she sings songs and incorporates physical activity to keep her students engaged throughout the school day.

Her students show consistent achievement gains in reading and math as measured by state and district assessments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she stepped up to help bridge the unexpected technology needs between the school and its families, working with the principal and the technology team to develop a remote-learning model, including virtual field trips, that was adopted by the school district.

Outside of the classroom, Trost is a leader in her own right, stepping into the lead teacher role at the school during her second year of teaching.

She supervises student teachers, mentors new teachers, and regularly invites peers to observe her classroom. Her innovative teaching methods, positive leadership and creative approach to education has earned the respect and trust of students and colleagues alike.

Parents at Grace Norton Rogers Elementary regularly request Trost for their rising fourth graders. One of her classroom’s goals for parents is to "maintain open, accessible and supportive lines of communication."

Some of the key ways she has achieved this is by developing rubrics for parents to better understand their student's grades and hosting weekly calls to parents to more closely involve them in their children’s education.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com