Randolph teacher gets surprise $25,000 award

RANDOLPH, Mass. — An elementary school teacher in Randolph was hit with a big surprise on Wednesday.

Taylor Thai is a kindergarten and first-grade teacher of multilingual students at Donovan Elementary and became the state’s 47th Milken Award winner.

The distinction came with a $25,000 check. It was presented during a surprise assembly at the Donovan School, with students cheering her on.

Thai is the only Massachusetts recipient of the Milken Award in 2021-22 and she is one of more than 60 recipients across the country this school year.

The Milken Award recognizes exemplary elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and specialists who are furthering excellence in education and comes with an award of $25,000.

Thai teaches English to multilingual students and collaborates with teachers to make lessons in other subjects accessible to all students whose first language is not English, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

DESE says Thai works on family engagement, and her fluency in Vietnamese has made her a strong resource for the school’s Vietnamese community.

Thai was presented with her award by Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards and a Milken recipient herself, and Regina Robinson, deputy commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“We are grateful to teachers like Mrs. Thai who have worked hard to support students, especially given the challenges of the past two years,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The pandemic created learning challenges for all students, especially English language learners, and dedicated teachers like Mrs. Thai make a huge difference as we address those challenges and work together to ensure kids get the education they deserve.”

Thai is a Braintree resident. She received a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2006 and a master’s degree in elementary education from Lesley University in 2011. She has worked at Donovan Elementary since 2013 and has been a teacher for 12 years.