• Home
  • >
  • Community
  • >
  • Germantown educator earns elite national award

Germantown educator earns elite national award

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on email

“Can someone call my parents,” Dogwood Elementary fifth grade teacher Alexa Guynes jokingly pleaded Thursday morning after a whirlwind of cheers from her colleagues, students, city officials and industry peers.
Guynes had just received the prestigious Milken Educator Award in a jampacked gymnasium during a school assembly.
The kicker was that she had no idea she was going to be the recipient of the award, which comes with a $25,000 prize.
“I am speechless,” Guynes said. “I am overwhelmed. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a kindergartner, and I never wavered. This is my passion. This is what I want to do. I love my babies, my children. I love coming to work every day.”
Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of Milken Educator Awards, was present to make the cloaked announcement.
With everyone gathered for an assembly, which was presumably about literacy initiatives, Foley was introduced.
She built suspense by asking students to define excellence and asking them to tell who helps them learn before finally announcing that a teacher at Dogwood would be distinguished as one of the best in the country.
When Guynes’ name was announced, the shock was evident as she brought her hands to her face. The tears were delayed.
Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn said Guynes “checked all of their boxes.”
“She exemplifies what we want to see in every classroom for every child in this state. She has laboratories of literacy in her classroom.”
Guynes is one of 11 teachers in the country to win the prestigious Milken Educator Award.
She is the only recipient this year from Tennessee and the first recipient from the Germantown Municipal School District.
Guynes came to work on Nov. 17 unaware that she would be living a once-in-a-lifetime moment within the first hour of school and is now honored as being one of the best educators in the country.
According to the Milken Family Foundation, this is the Oscar of education. They wish to target early to mid-career teachers and honor them for the successes they have achieved and encourage the promise of what they will accomplish.
“(Guynes) cares about the whole child,” fellow fifth grade teacher Melinda Henson said. “She makes sure all of the needs are met, not just the academic needs.”
“She goes the extra mile and beyond what she is required to do, especially for the kids who need the extra support,” fifth grade teacher Linda Fredrick said. “She makes sure they have everything they need.”
Her coworkers have her love as well.
“I have to give a shout out to the people I work with because I could not do it without them,” Guynes said. “My fifth grade team is the best in the country. I could not be who I am today without them, my administrators, the district office, the parents. The whole school and community deserves this as well.”
Guynes, who has been at Dogwood since 2014.
Not only is she the ELA content lead for grades 3-5, she spearheaded the “Book A Day” program at Dogwood with Frederick.
In that program, she reads a children’s book every day to her class, and they have analytical discussions about the lessons they learn from the books. She is fully engaged in making her students love to read.
“When she reads,” fifth grader Cade Sipniewski said, “she puts joy into each one of her words.”
“She makes reading fun when we do different reading styles like campfire reading,” fifth grade student Alex Corman said.
Guynes spent the first part of last week in Nashville learning about the Tennessee writing assessment, making sure she is at the forefront of all of the reading and literacy initiatives. She returned to Dogwood energized by her new learning to find out that people from across the country have noticed her passion and dedication to the art of teaching.
“Ms. Guynes demonstrates unwavering care for every child in her classroom,” said Superintendent of Germantown Municipal School District Jason Manuel. “Dogwood Elementary School has an incredible culture and she is a leader amongst her colleagues. Ms. Guynes makes learning fun and has a heart for students. She helps to challenge young minds but also helps to grow her students as people. We could not be prouder to have Ms. Guynes represent Germantown Municipal School District on a national stage as a Milken Educator.”
That passion and dedication is obvious to her students.
“She always has a smile on her face no matter what kind of day it is,” Nick Soucia said. “She always wants to see people be happy with learning.”
“She cares for her students, and she tries to make us learn everything the right way,” Grant Roberts said. “ELA used to be my least favorite subject, but now it is one of my favorites because Mrs. Guynes made it better.”
“She wants everyone to feel good about themselves and not feel embarrassed or left out,” Luke Laird said.
Along with the $25,000 check, Guynes receives a trip to California in April to work with the other Milken educators.
The prestigious honor, often described as “the Oscars of teaching,” has recognized outstanding teachers for more than 30 years.
The initiative not only aims to reward great teachers, but to celebrate, elevate and activate those innovators who are guiding America’s next generation of leaders.
More than $140 million in funding, including over $73 million in individual $25,000 Awards, has been devoted to the overall program, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout recipients’ careers.
The idea for the Milken Educator Awards started in the early 1980s when Lowell Milken, the chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation (MFF), began exploring strategies for strengthening the education profession. The first Awards were presented to a group of 12 outstanding teachers and administrators in California.
Now Milken Educators are surprised at boisterous schoolwide assemblies before cheering students, respected colleagues, distinguished officials and the media.

Related Posts