DC assistant principal and math coach wins 'the Oscar of teaching'

WASHINGTON — A Washington, D.C. educator received the surprise of a lifetime Thursday when she won the Milken Educator Award. 

Noyes Elementary School burst into applause as an all-school assembly with Interim State Superintendent of Education Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell quickly turned into a welcome surprise for Ariel Horton, an assistant principal and math coach at the school.

Bestowed by the Milken Family Foundation, the Milken Educator Award comes with a $25,000 cash prize that recipients can use however they choose. Horton will also receive a lifetime membership to the national Milken Educator Network and an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles for the Milken Educator Awards Forum April 1-3. Horton is the 18th recipient since D.C. joined the Awards initiative in 2003.

Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. More than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.

At DCPS’ Noyes Elementary School, Horton serves students and colleagues alike as assistant principal and math coach. Before assuming her current roles in June 2024, Horton spent more than a decade at Noyes as a kindergarten math and science teacher and math coach. A self-proclaimed “teacher’s teacher,” Horton works alongside her colleagues to develop and model effective instructional strategies, analyze data, and coordinate the academic supports students need to reach their full potential.

“Outstanding educators like Ariel Horton not only change lives, but also change the world,” said Mike Milken. “As a teacher, coach and school leader, Ariel is dedicated to ensuring that everyone at Noyes Elementary is put on a path to success. We commend her for the positive impact she has made on every corner of the campus, and welcome her into the Milken Educator Network. Congratulations.”

Horton is a two-time graduate of Howard University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in English in 2011 and her Master of Arts in education in 2012. 

Milken Educators are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients 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.