RIC Alum Receives 2024-25 Milken Educator Award, the “Oscar” of the Teaching Profession

Maria Santonastaso, a two-time Rhode Island College graduate, received a national Milken Educator Award for 2024-25. The award comes with a $25,000 cash prize which she can use for any purpose.

A kindergarten teacher at Glen Hills Elementary School in Cranston, Santonastaso was caught unawares when Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley and Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green presented her with the award at a school-wide assembly before cheering students, appreciative colleagues, dignitaries and media.

Santonastaso earned a B.A. in early childhood education and a B.S. in special education, with a concentration in severe intellectual disabilities, in 2014. She later earned an M.Ed. in reading in 2019.

Through a multifaceted approach of mindfulness, collaborative teaching and project-based learning, Santonastaso has created a nurturing classroom environment for her kindergartners. She pairs her students with fourth grade “buddies” and leads Socratic seminars.

Using student data, she prioritizes early literacy skills and works with fellow faculty members to ensure that all students receive individualized instruction. Incorporating interdisciplinary, inquiry-based curriculum through the state-sponsored Kindergarten Curriculum Project, Santonastaso engages students in hands-on assignments, like a wild animal research project concluding with student-led presentations and a showcase for parents and families. This exciting unit has garnered visits from district and state officials, as well as a live owl visit from the Audubon Society.

Santonastaso’s experience broadens out to the community where she is an adjunct professor of early childhood education at Rhode Island College, an active member of the early childhood advisory committee and a contributor to Rhode Island College’s early childhood STEAM curriculum.

Additionally, she served as an Educator Preparation Program reviewer for the Rhode Island Department of Education, where she assisted with the evaluation process and ensured that aspiring teachers received high-quality training.

“We are tremendously grateful for her contributions to Rhode Island education and look forward to the continued positive impact she will make on her students and the profession as a Milken Educator,” said Infante-Green. 

Along with the $25,000 financial prize, Santonastaso will join the national Milken Educator Network, a growing group of pioneering professionals working to shape the future of education. 

In the last seven years, five RIC grads have been honored with the Milken Educator Award. In addition to Santonastaso, they are John Rosenbaum ’08, ’11 M.A. (2021 award), Nancie Lawrence ’06, M.Ed. ’12 (2020 award), Jennifer Paolantonio ’06 (2019 award) and Michelle Johnson ’06, M.Ed. ’14 (2018 award). Santonastaso is Rhode Island’s sole award recipient in 2024-25.

“We are proud to have a legacy of award-winning educators who have graduated from the RIC Feinstein School of Education and Human Development,” says Interim Dean Carol Cummings. “Our graduates are prepared to be highly effective educators who are reflective, engaged and deeply committed to the values of equity, diversity and social advocacy.”

For information on RIC’s teacher preparation programs, visit the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development.