Rob Sanders was bestowed the National Educator award by the Milken Family Foundation in October. On June 28, he received monetary compensation for his work as an educator.

The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award provides recognition and unrestricted financial awards of $25,000 to exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals who are furthering excellence in education.

“They are an incredibly generous family,” Sanders said. Sanders traveled to Los Angeles, along with three other teachers in Colorado, to receive his award. The four teachers from Colorado were among 172 educators from 41 states.

He said the Foundation kept him busy, taking him to presentations given by previous winners.

Other presentations he attended included Larry King, Monty Hall and Tommy Lassorda.

Sanders was informed of his award during Homecoming Week at Moffat County High School (MCHS). At MCHS, Sanders is the assistant principal and activities director.

“A Milken Family Foundation reward is much more than $25,000,” said Janet Steele, Director of the Milken Educator Network and a 1994 recipient of the award. “It will change you.”

The four teachers from Colorado who received the award were among 172 educators from 41 states. Sanders said a total of $4.3 million was given to educators that evening.

“This award is only given to four educators a year (in Colorado),” said Morris Danielson, Colorado Board of Education member and the liaison between the state board and Northwest Colorado. “It is meant for those continuing contributions towards education. The future is for the educated.”

Sanders was impressed with the Foundation’s presentation on its Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). TAP is a comprehensive strategy for restructuring the present system to attract, retain and motivate quality teachers.

Sanders hopes to put parts of the TAP into use at MCHS.

“The need to assure that every child has the opportunity afforded by good teachers is urgent,” Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken said. “As urgent as the need to be well nourished, and for exactly the same reason a child’s growth depends on it.”

As far as his $25,000, Sanders will use it to pay off bills.

Besides their generosity in the educational field, the Milken Family Foundation also supports cancer research. The Foundation has donated over $90 million for research, particularly prostate cancer.