There are some teachers whose genius is clear nearly from the moment they step into a classroom. McKinley Broome, it seems, is one of those teachers.
In his first year of teaching, he won the Rookie Teacher of the Year Award in Baltimore County and Wednesday, just six years into his career, the fourth-grade math and reading teacher was presented the Milken Educator Award, an award compared to the Oscars for teaching.
The $25,000 cash award was a closely guarded secret at Woodholme Elementary School known only to the principal. A school assembly was called under the pretense of celebrating the achievement of the school, one of the highest-performing in Baltimore County and the state. Elected officials, state and local school leaders, and former Milken winners from Maryland were all there. But no one said a word.
Once a representative of the Milken Family Foundation told the more than 800 students assembled that she was there to give one of their teachers the biggest teaching award in the country, the faculty began to look around. Then two teachers leaned forward to whisper into Broome's ear. Could they borrow money from him? they wanted to know.
Still, Broome, who was dressed casually in his Woodholme Elementary fleece jacket, seemed stunned when his name was announced, as his students cheered and shouted. Broome is the only recipient in Maryland this year.
After the assembly, the fourth- and fifth-graders offered congratulations by crawling all over him.
Even in a school that is working well, Broome stands out.
"When you visit McKinley Broome's classroom, you can see the children are engaged in learning and he demands that exemplary behavior and exemplary academic performance," said Maralee Clark, the principal. "You can see it and feel it. We call him a kid magnet; he really does inspire them to think outside the box."
The 28-year-old, who is a first-generation college student from Calvert County, grew up knowing he would be a teacher.
"I felt I could have been pushed harder" in school, he said. He wanted to make sure that he helped students understand what they could do, he said.
After graduating from Salisbury University in the middle of the year, he taught at Randallstown Elementary for a semester and then moved to Woodholme six years ago when it opened.
Although much mention was made of test scores at the ceremony, Broome said he never worries about the state tests that his students do so well on. "Everything we do is a celebration in our classroom," he said.
But he also believes it is important to listen to students, and he tries to involve them in as many decisions as he can. He has a class president for his classroom. If students are talking too much, he has them develop strategies for how to change that. "My goal is to never say no to their ideas. I want them to enjoy life," he said.
The Milken award is being given this year to 55 educators across the United States as a way to highlight the importance of extraordinary educators. It is usually given to teachers and principals early in their careers as a way to encourage them to stay in the profession. The money can be spent in any way the teacher wishes, and Broome will go on an all-expense-paid trip to California to participate in a conference with other winners.
The Santa Monica, Calif.,-based Milken Family Foundation began handing out the awards in 1987 and has given more than $62 million.
Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, told Woodholme students that she was there to celebrate all of the school's educators and challenged them to thank their teachers this week.