Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
An innovative approach to remedial reading has earned national recognition for an Akron teacher.
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award was presented to Alona Leininger Wednesday by Suellen Reed, Indiana's superintendent of public instruction.
Leininger leads the reading recovery literary groups throughout the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. and is the reading recovery teacher at Akron. She has taught remedial reading since 1981.
The Milken Award is unusual in that the person who receives it has no idea he or she has been nominated. Until Friday, only TVSC Supt. Dr. Karen Boling knew Leininger would receive the award. Akron principal Brett Boggs found out only by accident on Monday.
The few in the know had the difficult task of keeping their secret two extra days. Leininger was supposed to get the award Monday morning, but the presentation had to be rescheduled when Reed's helicopter was grounded by fog.
As Akron staff prepared for Wednesday's convocation, Leininger was overheard offering to take pictures when the event transpired. Curious staff and students - already excited by the helicopter's arrival - filed into the gym just after 1 p.m. for the mystery presentation.
It wasn't until Reed spoke of "Reading Rainbow" that Leininger realized she was being honored.
"It was a complete surprise," she said.
As Leininger stood before the assembly, Reed elaborated on what the award entailed - $25,000 to use however Leininger wishes.
"I had no idea," Leininger said later. "I never thought of receiving such an amount."
But according to those who work with her, no one is more deserving.
"She has a wonderful attitude - you can always count on her doing what's best for the kids," Boggs said.
"In the years I've worked with Alona, I've never heard her say she had too much to do. She graciously accepts any assignment and does it at 150 percent," Boling said.
"She's one of the most caring teachers I've ever known," said reading specialist Ann Chubb. "Alona believes that every child can learn, and she works hard to find a way to get every child to learn ... She make sure kids are successful."
It was this attitude that led Leininger, along with Carol Surface, to develop "Rainbow Readers" for the Title I program. "We wanted something that sounded good for the boys and girls, because we wanted something that would make them feel special," Leininger said.
Leininger's colleagues credit her with "single-handedly tailoring the Title I remedial 'Rainbow Reading' program to meet the needs of students more effectively." Using her own time and money to learn about computers, Leininger integrated technology and taught children to use computers as instruction tools.
By keeping meticulous records on all children in her remedial reading program, she was able to document that improved student performance was a result of the "Rainbow Reading" experience and to see her model adopted districtwide.
The official presentation of the Milken Award will be in July in Los Angeles, Calif. Leininger is one of 138 teachers across the nation - including three others from Indiana - who will be honored.
The Milken Educator Awards were established in 1987 by Lowell and Michael Milken. The awards seek to honor educators, to heighten public recognition and appreciation of the education profession, and to inspire students to enter the field of education.
Leininger is a member of the Indiana State Reading Association and has served as treasurer, vice president and president of the Tippkee Reading Council. She earned her bachelor of science in elementary education from Manchester College in 1964 and earned a master of arts with a reading endorsement from Ball State University in 1967.
She and her husband, Randall, have two children.
An innovative approach to remedial reading has earned national recognition for an Akron teacher.
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award was presented to Alona Leininger Wednesday by Suellen Reed, Indiana's superintendent of public instruction.
Leininger leads the reading recovery literary groups throughout the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. and is the reading recovery teacher at Akron. She has taught remedial reading since 1981.
The Milken Award is unusual in that the person who receives it has no idea he or she has been nominated. Until Friday, only TVSC Supt. Dr. Karen Boling knew Leininger would receive the award. Akron principal Brett Boggs found out only by accident on Monday.
The few in the know had the difficult task of keeping their secret two extra days. Leininger was supposed to get the award Monday morning, but the presentation had to be rescheduled when Reed's helicopter was grounded by fog.
As Akron staff prepared for Wednesday's convocation, Leininger was overheard offering to take pictures when the event transpired. Curious staff and students - already excited by the helicopter's arrival - filed into the gym just after 1 p.m. for the mystery presentation.
It wasn't until Reed spoke of "Reading Rainbow" that Leininger realized she was being honored.
"It was a complete surprise," she said.
As Leininger stood before the assembly, Reed elaborated on what the award entailed - $25,000 to use however Leininger wishes.
"I had no idea," Leininger said later. "I never thought of receiving such an amount."
But according to those who work with her, no one is more deserving.
"She has a wonderful attitude - you can always count on her doing what's best for the kids," Boggs said.
"In the years I've worked with Alona, I've never heard her say she had too much to do. She graciously accepts any assignment and does it at 150 percent," Boling said.
"She's one of the most caring teachers I've ever known," said reading specialist Ann Chubb. "Alona believes that every child can learn, and she works hard to find a way to get every child to learn ... She make sure kids are successful."
It was this attitude that led Leininger, along with Carol Surface, to develop "Rainbow Readers" for the Title I program. "We wanted something that sounded good for the boys and girls, because we wanted something that would make them feel special," Leininger said.
Leininger's colleagues credit her with "single-handedly tailoring the Title I remedial 'Rainbow Reading' program to meet the needs of students more effectively." Using her own time and money to learn about computers, Leininger integrated technology and taught children to use computers as instruction tools.
By keeping meticulous records on all children in her remedial reading program, she was able to document that improved student performance was a result of the "Rainbow Reading" experience and to see her model adopted districtwide.
The official presentation of the Milken Award will be in July in Los Angeles, Calif. Leininger is one of 138 teachers across the nation - including three others from Indiana - who will be honored.
The Milken Educator Awards were established in 1987 by Lowell and Michael Milken. The awards seek to honor educators, to heighten public recognition and appreciation of the education profession, and to inspire students to enter the field of education.
Leininger is a member of the Indiana State Reading Association and has served as treasurer, vice president and president of the Tippkee Reading Council. She earned her bachelor of science in elementary education from Manchester College in 1964 and earned a master of arts with a reading endorsement from Ball State University in 1967.
She and her husband, Randall, have two children.
