March 25th, 2017 - The Education Commission of the States has announced Lowell Milken as this years's James Bryant Conant Award recipient, one of education’s most prestigious honors. In receiving the James Bryant Conant Award, Lowell Milken joins the ranks of education greats such as Sal Kahn (2016), Linda Darling-Hammond (2010), Thurgood Marshall (2004) and Marian Wright-Edelman (1987).

Named after the former president of Harvard University and co-founder of Education Commission of the States Mr. James Bryant Conant, the award recognizes outstanding individual contributions to American education. Education Commission of the States (ECS) will be officially presenting Lowell Milken with the award at the 2017 National Forum on Education Policy, taking place June 28-30, 2017, in San Diego.

“Lowell Milken’s efforts in education span across many areas of education practice, including policy, research, curriculum, professional development and student success,” said ECS President Jeremy Anderson. “Lowell’s inclusive approach to providing opportunities for educators, students and communities to increase innovation in and awareness of the importance of a well-rounded and comprehensive education experience demonstrates his commitment to supporting education from beginning to end.”

As former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon said, “When the history of education for the latter 20th and early 21st centuries is written, it will undoubtedly look upon the efforts of Lowell Milken—especially in his ground-breaking successes with the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement—as seminal in addressing the core issues of high quality teaching and learning.”

Lowell’s reputation as a visionary leader of education reform has been honed by more than three decades of education research, policy and practices — complemented by firsthand visits to thousands of classrooms and the creation of major national initiatives.

“Education is not only the most fundamental of life’s opportunities, it is the foundation of our strength as a nation and our security as a democracy,” said Lowell. “This is why it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure a high-quality educational experience for every young person. Being associated with the legacy of James Bryant Conant and the achievement of others who have changed the course of American education is a great honor.”

Learn more about ECS's James Bryant Conant Award to Lowell Milken

Learn more about ECS and the history of the James Bryant Conant Award