Brookside Elementary School Principal Joel Hudec thought he was heading to an all-school assembly Thursday morning to celebrate the school’s academic growth, but at the end of the assembly it was unveiled that he had been chosen to receive a Milken Educator Award.
“It was just a huge surprise,” Hudec said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “Nobody saw it coming, so that was pretty crazy and pretty wild.”
Hudec, who joined the district as an assistant principal in 2018, comes from a family of educators and said that he decided to go into the profession after taking a class where he was able to work with special needs students and “fell in love” with the work he was doing.
Hudec graduated in 2010 from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in child and family development and in 2014 from the University of Redlands with a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction.
As part of his work at Beaumont Unified, he coaches other principals and administrators, volunteers on district fiscal and planning teams and serves on committees focused on summer learning, curriculum development and school improvement.
But what he’s most proud of is the impact he’s able to have by supporting other educators so they can succeed in the classroom.
“I just love working with teachers, and I love working with educators and really just empowering them, because they’re the ones that are in the seat every day in front of the students, helping them out,” he said. “That’s where I get the most pride from.”
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And whether he’s equipping teachers with innovative tools to better engage students or hosting community events like a Read-a-Thon or annual harvest festival, his approach to supporting educators and their students is deeply rooted in building community and setting high expectations, the results of which are clear. Under his leadership, students at Brookside have made double-digit gains in both English Language Arts (ELA) and math, and maintained that high academic growth, on both district and state assessments.
“Brookside Elementary School is flourishing because of Principal Joel Hudec’s leadership,” Superintendent Mays Kakish said in a statement to The Record. “This achievement is something the entire community can share in celebration.”
For Hudec, the award itself was a credit not only to the work that he does, but also to every single person who is part of the Brookside community.
“It’s a humbling experience, but it’s a shared award,” he said. “It takes a village to support a campus and support students, so, in my opinion, it’s for the whole Brookside community. I just can’t thank them enough.”
The award also comes with a $25,000 unrestricted cash prize for Hudec. When asked what he was going to do with it, he said he hadn’t even had a chance to think about it.
“Probably just put it away towards the kids’ college funds,” he said, thinking of his two young daughters. “I figure it was awarded for education, so it’s probably best to use it for education.”
The Milken Educator Awards, also called the “Oscars of Teaching,” has no formal application or nomination process and is presented to outstanding K-12 early- to mid-career educators. Hudec is the first recipient in Beaumont Unified, and the 156th recipient in California.
“Joel Hudec is a strong instructional leader who works every day to achieve high standards of excellence for his students, colleagues and community,” said Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley, in a news release from the organization. “His record of accomplishment also serves a greater purpose: to inspire learners and leaders across this profession.”
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