Milken Educator Award Winner, Amanda Duplessy

Amanda Duplessy, a fifth-grade teacher at Lamar County School District’s Oak Grove Elementary school, thought she was attending a schoolwide assembly one morning in honor of a visit from State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans. Yet, there was another honor in store when Duplessy received the surprise of a lifetime with the Milken Educator Award for Mississippi that includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.

Duplessy was honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s 2024-25 Milken Educator Awards season. This season will honor up to 45 pioneering professionals coast to coast, marking the 3,000th Milken Educator in the awards’ ranks and celebrating a history of changing lives in communities across America. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the prestigious national recognition is hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching.”

Mississippi joined the Milken Educator Awards in 1991, and 79 educators have been award recipients with a total of $1,975,000 awarded. Dr. Evans joined Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop in bestowing the award upon Duplessy.

“Great teachers transform students’ lives by creating pathways to success that extend far beyond the classroom walls,” said Dr. Evans. “As a Milken Educator,

Amanda Duplessy demonstrates the powerful impact that dedicated educators have on student achievement and our entire education system.”

“Amanda Duplessy’s creative instruction and outstanding mentorship are making a marked difference in the lives of her students, colleagues and the greater community,” said Bishop, who is a 2001 Virginia Milken Educator herself. “Amanda’s classroom is a hub of critical thinking and hands-on learning where every activity is tailored to inspire growth. Congratulations, Amanda! Today we celebrate you and welcome you to the Milken Educator Network.”

Amanda Duplessy’s exemplary career is evident in the way she tailors instruction and interventions to meet student needs, mentors fellow teachers, and is often the first to arrive and the last to leave each school day. Duplessy’s commitment is reflected in her students’ academic growth each year.

One digit at a time, students hold up cards representing the amount.

At the beginning of the school year, Duplessy assesses her students and identifies any gaps in comprehension, then adjusts her curriculum with research-based strategies and data personalized to students’ needs. She incorporates creative, high-quality instructional materials into her classroom, engaging students in immersive activities to build strong comprehension and critical thinking skills. Her “Unsolved Mysteries” unit has students dress up as detectives as they study their top-secret case file focused on reading nonfiction and performing research. Role-playing continues in her “Writing Boot Camp,” where students are “ordered” by Duplessy as “class drill sergeant” to complete a series of challenges that boost proficiency.

A leader herself, Duplessy extends her guidance and experience in growing and inspiring student leaders as co-founder of Oak Grove’s first-ever student council. She often attends student sporting events or dance recitals in her free time. Her support also encompasses her colleagues: Duplessy serves as a fifth grade ELA professional learning community (PLC) leader, mentors her peers, leads a professional development book study related to implementation strategies for the science of reading, supervises student teachers from the University of Southern Mississippi as- signed to Oak Grove for clinical practice, and oversees fifth grade’s positive behavioral interventions and supports. She is also on the arts committee and develops strong, meaningful relationships with parents and families.

Students can hardly wait to hear which of their teachers will be receiving this national honor.

Duplessy is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education K-6 in 2007 and a master’s degree in elementary education in 2012.