Commissioner Córdova joins Milken Family Foundation to honor middle school math teacher Shana Engel
Mountain Vista Community School sixth-grade math teacher Shana Engel won the $25,000 Milken Educator Award in a surprise ceremony at her school attended by Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley and Colorado Commissioner of Education Dr. Susana Córdova.
“Shana Engel is paving the way for future mathematicians,” said Dr. Jane Foley, who is a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator herself. “By emphasizing the importance of math to students’ lives, she is building a community of learners who will enter their next academic chapter with confidence and enthusiasm. Thank you, Shana, for the important work you do. Welcome to the Milken Educator family of excellence.”
“Shana Engel represents the very best in Colorado’s educator profession,” Dr. Córdova said. “Her students thrive because she combines rigorous, engaging instruction with deep care for every learner — and she lifts up her colleagues and school community along the way.”
Engel was lauded for how she emphasizes project-based learning and upholds high student participation expectations through targeted, data-driven instructions. Her students consistently demonstrate notable achievement and growth on i-Ready sixth-grade math assessments and on the Colorado Measurement of Academic Success tests. Engel’s effective interventions and differentiated instruction also help deepen content knowledge and understanding.
Engel’s work as the school’s sole sixth-grade math teacher, sixth-grade team lead and middle school math lead has earned her deep respect from her colleagues who appreciate her contributions to the school’s math committee, MTSS team, Understanding by Design initiatives or mentoring through the district’s new staff institute. Students recognize the value of her carefully constructed lessons and how they take an active role in the learning process.
Additionally, Engel organizes opportunities for students to engage with math through STEM club, robotics club, and math tutoring club. Her commitment to and relationship with the school community is positive; she inspires parents to volunteer in her classrooms, and students often choose to be her for “teacher takeover day.”
Engel earned a bachelor’s in history with an elementary education endorsement from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2012.
Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. In addition to the $25,000 prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 3,000 education leaders.
Source: Colorado Department of Education
