Thursday, October 21, 1999

Educators win awards of $25,000

     Review-Journal
      Two Clark County School District teachers have been recognized as outstanding educators by the Milken Family Foundation.
      The recognition brings them awards of $25,000 each, to use as they will. Don Curry, a science teacher at Silverado High School, and Diane Koutsulis, a music instructor at Green Valley High School, were notified of their prizes Wednesday.
      Curry, who has taught for 30 years, was assigned to Silverado in 1994. He is an honoree in the district's Educational Excellence Hall of Fame and was the 1998 recipient of the Nevada Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Award.
      Koutsulis is the 1998 Nevada Teacher of the Year. At Green Valley, she fills the position of director of bands and the arts department. She also is in the district Hall of Fame.
      "Notifying outstanding educators of this award is a thrill and an honor," said State Superintendent Mary Peterson, who made the presentations at each teacher's school. "These are outstanding people who are dedicated to children and improving society through education."
      Other Nevada Milken award winners are Eric Anderson, a science teacher at Eagle Valley Middle School in Carson City, and Joe de Braga, principal of Spring Creek High School in Elko. The winners are chosen by a special blue ribbon committee appointed by the state Department of Education. This year, 172 educators were honored in 41 states with $25,000 awards.
      The Milken Educator Awards were established in 1987. The co-founder of the program is Michael Milken, former junk-bond king of the 1980s.