Shannon Harvey, Cascade Elementary principal, receives Milken award

As more than 500 kids sat in the gym at Cascade Elementary School in Renton on Wednesday, the suspense grew.

And grew. And grew.

That was intentional, as Richard Sandler, executive vice president of the Milken Family Foundation, went through a well-rehearsed procedure before the cheering children.

There were introductions of school and public officials. Then there was a kind of skit, in which kids were called from the audience and asked to hold up big signboards. One had a dollar sign, another had a "2," another a "5" and another a "0."

"Would that be a good prize?" asked Sandler, and the kids cheered at the amount: $250.

But that was just a start. Eventually, Sandler had kids holding numbers that came to $25,000, and then he got to the point:

"Now, now is the time we've been waiting for," he said.

Then he announced that the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award was being made to Shannon Harvey, the school's principal.

The whole thing was a surprise, which is part of the mystique of the award, which Sandler compared to the Academy Awards or the Nobel Prize — only for educators.

"We don't do enough to honor our teachers," Sandler said. "There was never an award for the most important job of all."

Harvey, who has been principal at Cascade for five years and who has been with the Renton School District 16 years, was indeed surprised. She wiped away tears and explained that she thought everyone had been brought into the gymnasium because the school was going to be honored for improving test scores.

Under her leadership, Cascade has gone from 48 percent of students passing the reading test of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning to 81 percent passing the test.

"It seems unfair to be honored for something I love," she said.

Harvey, who grew up on Whidbey Island and graduated from South Whidbey High School before going on to Western Washington University, Seattle University and Seattle Pacific University — where she received her doctorate — said she had no idea what she'd done to deserve the award.

Sandler said 80 of the Milken awards are given annually. Harvey's was the only one awarded in Washington state this year.

The awards are given to educators who show exceptional educational talent and long-range leadership, but Sandler said that it's not something that can be sought.

"You can't apply for this award," he said. Winners are selected by an independent blue-ribbon committee in each state.

The first 12 awards were given to California educators in 1987. Since then, some 2,300 of the prizes have been awarded. In 2005, Donna Marshall, then principal of Seattle's Cleveland High School, received the award. Recipients can do anything they want with the money.

Michael Milken established the Milken Family Foundation, which also supports medical research, in 1982 with his brother, Lowell Milken. Michael Milken is perhaps best known for his work in financial markets during the 1970s and '80s; he also served 22 months in prison for securities violations.

Harvey, who's married and has two children, said she doesn't know what she'll do with the money, but she immediately mentioned a party for her staff.

"I don't know," she said. "It's such a surprise."

Information from The Seattle Times archive was included in this report.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259