Educators are recommended for this prestigious honor without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state's department of education. “It is gratifying to see teachers such as Drew Moore be recognized for the work that they do," said George Seelinger, Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Illinois State University. “I would hope that our current students gain inspiration from someone such as Drew who is making such a difference in their students’ education.”

Despite his youth, Moore is recognized as a teacher who has truly made a difference. Upon graduating from Illinois State in 2000, he quickly gained a teaching position with Normal Community High School, but after one year, chose to move to Bloomington High School where he completed his student teaching. At Bloomington High School, Moore writes curriculum and was selected to teach an Algebra re-learn course after the school lost funding. He has been instrumental in developing a math ACT/PSAE review program for the math department. He also assisted in creating a local assessment with math questions from all disciplines, to serve as a baseline data collection device for incoming freshmen that measures math achievement and progress.

This year, 100 teachers in 48 states and the District of Columbia will receive Milken awards. To date, the Milken Foundation has honored a total of more than 2,100 educators, and distributed more than $54 million in awards. Since the award’s inception in the early 1980s, only 99 teachers and principals have received the Milken Educator Award in the state of Illinois.