Diman Regional principal receives prestigious national Milken Educator Award, check for $25,000

Fall River/Somerset/Swansea/Westport, Mass. (October 20, 2023) — Today’s schoolwide assembly honoring the culinary program at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High in Fall River turned into a sweet celebration for Principal Andrew Rebello – and a particularly fitting one during National Principals Month. In front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries and media, Rebello was presented with the prestigious Milken Educator Award and a check for $25,000, an unrestricted cash prize bestowed by the Milken Family Foundation honoring exceptional educators from coast to coast for their excellence and innovation in the field.

Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley was joined by Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley to present the Award to Rebello.

“Today we celebrate Andrew Rebello and his positive impact on preparing Diman students for success in a complex, competitive global economy,” said Dr. Foley, who is a 1994 Milken Educator herself. “His dedication to students, staff and community is evidenced by his dynamic leadership, steadfast determination and collaborative approach to teaching and learning. We welcome Andrew to our Milken Educator Network and look forward to his contributions.”

Hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Awards will honor up to 75 recipients across the country this school year as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s Journey to the 3,000th Milken Educator. This season will reach $75 million in individual financial prizes spanning the length of the initiative and more than $144 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession and inspiring young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career.

“It was great seeing students’ excitement as Mr. Rebello was being recognized,” Commissioner Riley said. “His work to improve learning and school culture has made him an important member of Diman’s school community.”

The Milken Educator Award is not a lifetime achievement honor. Recipients are sought out while early to mid-career for what they have achieved – and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award.

Rebello is committed to academic growth, building relationships with families and ensuring every voice is heard and valued at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. Since he began his education career there as guidance counselor, and now principal, Rebello has facilitated immense positive change. No stranger to a challenge, his first day as principal was the beginning of the COVID shutdown and from that day forward, he has personified effective leadership by working to provide a high-quality educational opportunity for all. Rebello successfully implemented schoolwide instructional practices to improve student learning with a focus on checks for understanding and critical thinking in every classroom. He also spearheaded academic and vocational acceleration programs, including targeted math intervention, high-dosage tutoring, a study hall for students needing additional support, and reinforcements after school and on Saturdays. As a result, Diman’s students outperformed the state for English and math and recently saw the highest graduation rate in school history at 98 percent. 

With an open line of communication, Rebello’s relationship-building extends beyond students and families to the community at large. He developed a best-in-class Parent Academy to facilitate family growth and partnership, created a hotline within the Academy that families can access at any time, and established a community liaison to bolster Diman’s presence in the community. He attracted more than 800 students and their families for the first-ever Community Wellness Day. Through a collaboration with area universities and colleges, Rebello established a college-access pathway for students and helps seniors remain on track to graduate. 

A respected leader in and outside the school, Rebello was recently sworn in as a member of Governor Healey’s Economic Development Planning Council to develop the Massachusetts Economic Development Plan and serves as a member of the Educational Policy and Legislative Committee for the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association.  

Rebello received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Merrimack College in 2010, a Master of Education in 2012 from Frostburg State University, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from University of Massachusetts Boston in 2016 and a Certificate of School Management and Leadership from Harvard University in 2021.

Honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in June 2024, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.

Honorees receive mentorship opportunities including Milken Friends Forever which pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around a specific topic area; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to tackle pressing educational needs.

Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 

The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.  

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.