x
Breaking News
More () »

Ansonia High School teacher awarded with $25,000

Ansonia High School’s Laura Baker-Coronis was the recipient of the Milken Educator Award

ANSONIA, Conn. — A ninth-grade math teacher had a good kind of surprise Thursday morning when she was awarded the $25,000 Milken Educator Award in recognition of her excellence as a teacher.

Laura Baker-Coronis, who teaches math at Ansonia High School, was honored for how she creates learning environments that foster communication and teamwork while putting in place real-world applications of mathematics.

RELATED: 'Our students need to see themselves' | Teacher Residency Program works to diversify educator workforce

“Teaching is a noble profession; it takes great skill, ability, and perseverance. I am delighted that one of Connecticut’s educators is receiving this prestigious recognition,” said Connecticut Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker. “The Milken Educator Award brings much-deserved focus to our excellent educators in Connecticut. I congratulate Ms. Baker-Coronis on receiving this award and thank her for her dedication to the students of Ansonia and her innovative practices in the classroom.”

Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters: Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines

The Milken Family Foundation said of Baker-Coronis, "She creates engaging environments, like allowing her students to use algebra to design their dream cars, comparing cell phone plans based on data usage and figuring out which careers provide the most income. In the Cereal Box Challenge, a highlight of Baker-Coronis’ geometry classes, students design boxes to hold quantified volumes with constraints like production costs, graphics and having to fit multiple boxes into specified shipping cartons."

She also developed strategies to help students catch up on learning after remote classes and a program to improve students' SAT scores with problems to solve. 

RELATED: The Real Story: Diversity in teaching

Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.

Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newsteam@fox61.com

HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS

Download the FOX61 News APP

iTunes: Click here to download

Google Play: Click here to download

Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.

Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTERFACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

Before You Leave, Check This Out