Rio Rancho high school teacher receives national educator award

RIO RANCHO — On Wednesday, Cleveland High School teacher Ashli Knoell received the surprise of a lifetime when it was announced she was chosen to receive the Milken Educator Award, which honors educators around the country who are furthering excellence in education.

Before a gym packed with students and staff, Knoell said it came as a shock when she heard her name called.

"I didn't know what to think at first. I didn't think it was me," she said. "It just felt surreal."

Known as the “Oscar of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Awards were created by Lowell Milken in 1987 and go to elementary and secondary teachers, principals and specialists .

Knoell is one of 75 Milken Educator Award recipients for the 2023-2024 school year. Knoell receives a $25,000 cash prize, which she said will go toward personal savings and purchasing items for her classroom.

New Mexico Secretary of Public Education Arsenio Romero, Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent V. Sue Cleveland and several legislators and local officials were on hand to celebrate Knoell’s award and hand over the giant replica $25,000 check.

“There’s not anything you can give students that is as good as a wonderful, powerful teacher, and that's the kind of teacher (Knoell) is," Cleveland said. "Students respond to her, they are engaged and they’re excited about learning.”

New Mexico has been a state partner with the Milken Educator Awards since 1992, with 67 New Mexico educators receiving the honor — and the accompanying $1.7 million in cash prizes — since then.

“There are amazing teaching practices happening across New Mexico, and we see the successes every single day,” Romero said. “New Mexico is the leader, the model for teaching and we’re going to continue to see that excellence and teaching across New Mexico.”

While both the Milken and cash award were the highlight, another objective is to inspire of future generations to become educators — much like Knoell's middle school science teacher, who influenced her to become a teacher .

“He was just an amazing human, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized the impact that man had on my life,” Knoell said. “I was looking at my path of career choices in college, and he just kept coming back into my brain (that) I could do what he did for children and help.”

So that’s what she did, getting her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of New Mexico in 2010 before earning her Master of Science for teaching in 2017 from New Mexico Tech.

Post master's degree, Knoell taught elementary and middle school for Albuquerque Public Schools for eight years before moving to high school teaching with Rio Rancho Public Schools.

For the past six years, she’s been at Cleveland, where she’s earned acclaim for her enthusiasm, innovation and the connections she forms with her students.

Knoell, 35, is teaching three levels of STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics and robotics classes. Her students are working on building rockets, engaging in robotics competitions and designing new items such as a backpack for skateboarders, among other projects.

Known for her passion for science education, Knoell has woven it into everything she does at Cleveland and works to instill a love of learning among her students, just like her middle school science teacher did for her.

Jon Sisneros, a Cleveland High sophomore and one of Knoell's students, said her commitment to her students and their well-being is what sets her apart.

“She explains things very easily, she’s a very easy person to talk to, almost like a parent figure," he said. "She really deserves this award."

Photos: Cleveland High School teacher receives national educator award