'My heart leapt': Wayzata teacher gets $25,000 award

by Tom Weber, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — An eighth grade math teacher at Wayzata West middle school has won a $25,000 award.

Seth Brown was named a Milken award winner Monday morning. The award has been called the 'Oscars of Teaching' — and recognizes dozens of teachers around the country each year.

Winners don't know they're getting the award ahead of time. Brown said he was sitting in the school assembly this morning when his name was read.

"My heart lept; I fell backwards into those kids I was sitting with. For once in my life, I was speechless, almost. It was just amazing; just surreal for about 15, 20 minutes," he said.

Winners can spend the money however they want. Brown said he'll take his colleagues to dinner on Friday and pay down his graduate school tuition. He also plans to give some of the money to his school's PTA.