PORTSMOUTH — The morning assembly at Portsmouth Middle School on Thursday began like any other celebration of the district’s recent accomplishments. By the end, seventh- and eighth-grade school counselor Kyle Spaltholz had become $25,000 richer and the first educator in Portsmouth history to receive the prestigious Milken Educator Award — the only one presented in Rhode Island this year.

The surprise took place before a packed gymnasium of students, teachers, and dignitaries, including Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Family Foundation. Spaltholz, who believed the event would focus on the district’s positive learning environment, had no idea the spotlight would soon turn to him.

Before the big reveal, Infante-Green praised Portsmouth’s strong academic and cultural momentum. “I was just at Melville Elementary School, (which) was selected to be one of our state’s three Blue Ribbon schools,” she said. She also highlighted the district’s bronze-level “district of distinction” honor from the Northeast PBIS Network, recognizing Portsmouth’s success in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports across all its schools.

“When students feel like they belong, when they are engaged in their education, they show up for school, they stay at school — every school in Portsmouth has much lower rates of chronic absenteeism than the state average,” the commissioner said. “Congratulations. And you're still improving, which is amazing.”

Dr. Foley, who traveled from Santa Monica, Calif., to make the announcement, explained that the Milken Foundation has honored exceptional educators across the country for nearly 40 years. “For my job, I travel around the whole country visiting schools, but this is our only stop in the state,” she told the crowd.

‘Most important job’

She reminded students that educators have “the most important job in our country, because they have the responsibility of preparing all of you for a great future.” 

After asking all teachers to stand for applause, Foley noted that public recognition for educators remains too rare. “We recognize excellence in the other professions: the best athletes, the most valuable player awards, entertainers and Emmys, Oscars, and science and medicine. But our educators, who have the most important job of all, teaching the people who get the other awards, haven’t had that kind of celebration. That’s just wrong.”

That, she said, is what the Milken Foundation seeks to change. “The Milken Award says in a very public way that greatness in education should be recognized, too. Outstanding educators are the backbone of every distinguished school, such as this.”

When Foley finally opened the envelope, she announced: “One of the best educators in the entire country is here, right here in your school. It's the only one in Rhode Island this year, and the Milken Award is so prestigious, they call it the Oscars of teaching.”

‘A huge surprise’

Then came the name — Kyle Spaltholz.

The gym erupted in cheers as Spaltholz, visibly stunned, rose from his seat among other teachers and administrators. He later said the recognition “was a huge surprise.” “I was not expecting this at all,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Which educator could it be?’ — and I’m listing all the teachers I know in my head, because we have a whole group of great teachers here at the school.”

Principal Jay Masterson described Spaltholz as an educator whose empathy and resourcefulness define his work. 

“He recognizes everyone's needs before they even need it, and he has an enormous ability to find resources that are available to them, and then deliver them,” Masterson said. “But he doesn’t just say, here it is. He actually says, ‘This is how we do it together. I’ll show you, we’ll work together.’”

Spaltholz only began his current counseling role in September, after seven years as an English teacher and a stint as an instructional systems coach. “It’s just great to watch him develop so fast,” Masterson added.

When Spaltholz addressed the crowd, he deflected personal credit. “I think this really is an award for this school, and it's really all of us that did this together,” he said. “So I just want to thank you all, and congratulations.”

Innovation and care

According to the Milken Family Foundation, Spaltholz has played a key role in advancing Portsmouth Middle School’s academic and social-emotional supports. His experience spans classroom teaching, technology integration, and data-driven counseling. He has helped implement the district’s multitiered system of supports, led professional learning communities, and co-authored the district’s response-to-intervention handbook.

His interests also extend to the use of emerging technologies. “It’s currently the cutting edge of technology and it's something that's developing,” he said of artificial intelligence. “It’s something that's not avoidable in our future. So, it's about how do we utilize it and use it in a way that benefits teachers and teaching students about it, so they're aware going into their future and the workforce and what it means for them.”

Now one of two counselors serving Portsmouth Middle School’s seventh and eighth graders, Spaltholz said he was drawn to the new role because he missed working directly with students. 

“Being in a classroom and helping a teacher learn the best strategy to address their needs for curriculum is great,” he said, “but I miss getting down with the kids and helping them out and seeing their needs and wanting to really be there for them in that way.”

A proud mom

After the ceremony, Spaltholz made one important phone call — to his mother, Renée. On speakerphone, with Milken representatives listening in, she told him, “I’m so proud of you.”

With the Milken Award, Spaltholz joins a national network of more than 3,000 educators who have been recognized for excellence since the program began in 1987. He will travel to Washington, D.C., next June for the Milken Educator Awards Forum, where recipients collaborate on strengthening education nationwide.

For Spaltholz, though, the honor still comes back to his school community. “It really is a recognition for the whole school and everything they've done,” he said.