Gaston County educator wins Milken award and $25,000 prize
Meghan LeFevers of Bessemer City High School is this year’s recipient for North Carolina
Gaston County Schools has this year’s
recipient of the coveted Milken Educator
Award. Meghan LeFevers, assistant
principal at Bessemer City High School,
received the prestigious national honor
on Monday, December 18 during a school
assembly program.
The 2017 Milken Educator Award
is presented by the Milken Family
Foundation to recognize promising
educational leaders. It comes with
a $25,000 prize. The award honors
LeFevers for her diligent work with
students with special needs and students
who are considered ‘at-risk.’
“I am surprised, overwhelmed,
and very appreciative,” said LeFevers,
who accepted the award from State
Superintendent of Schools Mark Johnson
and Milken representative Jane Foley.
Johnson was among a full slate of
elected officials, dignitaries, and others
who attended the presentation, which
was promoted as a visit from the State
Superintendent to ensure that the award was kept a secret.
The Milken honor is the second significant recognition for LeFevers.
Last month, she was named the 2018 North Carolina Secondary Assistant
Principal of the Year, an award presented by the North Carolina Principals and
Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA).
“We have known it for some time, but now everyone knows that Meghan
LeFevers is one of the best public school educators in our state and our
country,” stated Gaston County Superintendent of Schools W. Jeffrey Booker.
“We are extremely proud of her, and we are grateful to the Milken Family
Foundation for its commitment to honoring exemplary educators across our
great nation.”
Booker added, “The Milken Educator Award recognizes Ms. LeFevers’
outstanding talent and contributions to the education profession and her
ability to motivate students, be an effective advocate for them, and bring
about change that is beneficial. She is to be commended for her efforts to
ensure that all students experience success regardless of the challenges they
face.”
LeFevers joined Gaston County Schools in 2007 and has served as an
assistant principal at Bessemer City High
School since 2014. Prior to becoming an
assistant principal, she was a science,
math, and social studies teacher at
W.C. Friday Middle School in Dallas
(2007-2013) and spent the 2013-2014
academic year completing a North
Carolina Principal Fellows internship at
Bessemer City H igh School.
A native of Cherryville, LeFevers
graduated from Cherryville High School
in 2003. She earned a Bachelor of
Science in Elementary Education from
Appalachian State University in 2007
and a Master of School Administration
from UNC-Charlotte in 2014. She
completed her undergraduate and
graduate coursework with ‘summa cum
laude’ academic status and was inducted
into the Kappa Delta Pi National Honor
Society at Appalachian State. She also
received the North Carolina Teaching
Fellows scholarship.
As an emerging leader in K-12 public
education, LeFevers created professional development series about poverty
and at-risk students and inclusion practices for students with disabilities. She
has served as a presenter at numerous conferences and seminars, including
the Winthrop University Inclusion Conference, the Conference on Education
Leadership in Greensboro, the Council for Exceptional Children National
Conference in Boston, and the National Principals Conference in Philadelphia.
The awards presentation was Johnson’s first official visit to Gaston
County since he became the State Superintendent of Schools in January.
Johnson praised LeFevers for her development of a school-wide learning plan,
innovative use of performance data to ensure effective teaching and learning,
and her constant focus on what is best for students.
The Milken Educator Awards program began in 1987, and it is often
referred to as the “Oscars of Teaching.” The program’s goal is to reward,
retain, and support the highest caliber professionals for the nation’s schools.
Nationally, more than 2,700 K-12 teachers, administrators, and other
school personnel have been named Milken Educators, and they make up the
Milken Educator Network, which provides expertise and serves as a valuable
resource for educators, school boards, legislators, and others in determining
the future of education.
Parent Teacher Magazine• March/April 2018• 7