NOT BEING A SLIPPER AFICIONADO, ALEXANDER CARTER OPTED FOR HIS TRUSTY, COMFY FLIP-FLOPS. It was, after all, "Sweats & Slippers Day" at C.D. Hylton High School's 2003 Homecoming Week.

"The Virginia state superintendent for public instruction [who was making a special appearance at school that day] won't mind," Carter thought. "She won't take the fashion statement as disrespectful. Showing school spirit is all part of being a great teacher."

As it turns out, Alex Carter ('94) knows a lot about great teaching. The superintendent's visit and the all-school assembly both were part of a stealthy ruse to get the teacher before the entire school.

All thoughts about bad fashion disappeared as Carter accepted a $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award before 2,500 students, 200 colleagues, local and state officials and distinguished guests. The Milken awards, the largest teacher recognition program in the nation, recognized 100 teachers in October with the prestigious award. Carter, a ninth-grade social studies teacher, was one of two Virginia educators to earn the honor.

Co-conspirators with the principal and superintendent at C.D. Hylton High that day were four former Milken Educator award winners, including Phil Bigler ('74, '76M), director of the James Madison Center and 1998 National Teacher of the Year. "The neat thing about the Milken award is that you're welcomed into a society of former winners," says Bigler. "You join a coalition of 2,000 top educators who have access to a variety of expert resources to help cultivate and expand innovative programs in their classrooms, schools and districts. And there's no formal nomination process. The Milken Foundation finds you. This award cele-
brates the outstanding work that our teachers are doing to secure our nation's destiny and ensure our children's dreams."

Dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine, the Milken Foundation Educator Awards were created in 1985 to reward, retain and attract the highest-caliber professionals to the nation's schools. "There's no way to angle for something like this. You know that it's a real honor," says Carter, a new father who plans to use the unrestricted $25,000 award to start a college fund.

Carter credits one of his JMU professors with helping him become a nationally-recognized teacher. "My favorite professor was Dr. [Skip] Hyser in the history department," says Carter. "He showed me the two things that you need to be a good teacher: intimate knowledge of your subject matter combined with a passion for teaching it.

"The best hint that I can give JMU students studying to be teachers -- save your notes -- especially if they are in an intensive subject. Your notes are incredible. That's how you'll keep the attention of your students -- from the stories in your notes. And, I don't use a lot of gimmicks. I believe if you want to teach kids to really get the information, you have to really teach it."

Carter's influence on his students echoes the lasting inspiration that he received from Hyser. JMU junior Sean Weddel, a former student of
Carter's, attests, "Mr. Carter placed the fire in my heart for history. He is the person who made the biggest impact on my decision on what to become in life -- a high school history teacher. He is the type of teacher who loves what he does and makes class 100 times more interesting. He is the man that I want to become, though I believe that's next to impossible."

Carter has taught at C.D. Hylton for nine years and won the 2000 Outstanding Performance Award from the Prince William County School Board. He also chairs Hylton's social studies department -- sometimes in flip-flops.

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-- Michelle Hite ('88)