Assembly with Education Director Snow turns into big surprise for Woodbine principal
Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder was in for quite the surprise during a school assembly with Iowa Department of Education Dire…
An assembly at Woodbine Elementary School turned into the surprise of a lifetime for one area educator Thursday morning.
Woodbine Elementary Principal Jill Ridder sat at the front of the gym with fellow school and district administrators, city officials and other distinguished guests as Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow stopped by to deliver remarks celebrating the young Tiger students' academic success.
There was much fanfare as Woodbine Marine Corps ROTC cadets presented the colors and the high school's show choir, Visual Harmonics, performed an invigorating routine.
Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder, center, reacts after receiving the Milken Educator Award from Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Jane Foley, right, and Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, left, during an assembly at the school on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
There was plenty to be proud of, as Snow said that the elementary school currently exceeds the national average for English Language Arts and math achievement by 18% and 27%, respectively, following recent testing. She said the results wouldn't be possible without an all star staff dedicated to building the foundation of educational success for these young students.
Ridder, among the rest of the school's teachers and staff, visibly beamed with pride seeing her team and their students receive such praise from the state's top brass.
More praise was to follow, but it was for something more specific. Following Snow's remarks, a guest traveling in from California took center stage.
The guest was Jane Foley, and she was visiting Woodbine as an ambassador for the Milken Educator Awards program, which she referred to as "the Oscars of Teaching."
Foley said educators often don't get the recognition they deserve.
Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder, right, hugs Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Jane Foley after being surprised with the Milken Educator Award during an assembly at the school on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
"Teachers have the most important job in our country, because they have the responsibility of preparing all of you for a bright future," she declared to the students in attendance.
The award is given out to "outstanding" teachers ranging from kindergarten to high school who are in the early or middle stages of their career. According to a release from the Milken Family Foundation, these teachers receive the award "for what they have achieved" and "for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the award."
Foley, who received the award herself in 1994, said there isn't a formal application or nomination process like many other awards. The Milken team does their own investigating while searching for the country's best educators.
"You don't find us," she quipped. "We find you."
It turns out that the team found just the right person in Harrison County, and that person was Principal Jill Ridder.
It was a surprise to everyone in the audience, especially Ridder. Stunned, she stood up and got a big hug from Foley and Director Snow while the crowd stood up and roared with approval. The love for Ridder was palpable.
Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder, center, reacts after being named a Milken Educator Award recipient during an assembly at the school on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
As if the recognition wasn't enough, Ridder also received a $25,000 check, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. for the Milken Educator Awards Forum and mentoring opportunities to help further develop her vision for the betterment of education nationwide.
As the dust settled, Ridder took part in photo opportunities, got hugs from her kids and phoned her husband, Zach, to tell him the good news. She then spoke about the whirlwind event.
"I was very shocked and overwhelmed," she said. "I do not handle recognition very easily, and I really feel like it's a team effort, and I feel like there are a ton of great educators here at Woodbine so I did not expect my name to be called."
Ridder said that she appreciates the foundation's efforts to recognize educators, as they have much responsibility when it comes to shaping the generations of tomorrow.
"I think education is a hard job," she said. "We wear many hats and it takes a lot to get through to students to close those achievement gaps and keep moving forward, especially to be visionary and take risks to move forward in education."
Director Snow echoed those sentiments, and she praised Ridder for her accomplishments for the elementary school and Woodbine district as a whole.
"This is one of the many ways in Iowa that we have to celebrate excellent educators across the state, who work in partnership with families to meet the needs of every single student," she said. "And we've seen incredible results in the elementary school that Principal Ridder supports and leads."
Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder, right, hugs her son, second-grader Brooks Ridder, after being named a Milken Educator Award recipient at a school assembly on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.
In the program's 40th year, the Milken Educator Award has been given to more than 3,000 teachers so far. Ridder is Iowa's 49th award recipient and the lone Iowa educator to receive the award this year. Thirty total teachers were given the honors this year.
Several past Iowa recipients attended the event, including Jason Plourde, a well-know educator in Council Bluffs who received the award in 2008 while serving as principal at Washington Elementary School.
Ridder is a Woodbine native who previously served as a fifth-grade teacher, preschool teacher and school-based interventionist before becoming principal. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa and her master's degree in education leadership from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016. Her kids — kindergartener Charlotte, second-grader Brooks and sixth-grader Wyatt — all attend Woodbine Community Schools. According to materials provided from the Milken Educator Awards team, amongst other accolades, more than 75% of Woodbine Elementary students are performing at least one year or more above their grade level in math or reading with Ridder at the helm.
She hopes other districts across Iowa and the country can look at what they're doing in Woodbine and use it as an example to improve.
"It starts with collective efficacy," she said. "So you really have to have a team that's on board with what you're doing and the 'why' behind what you're doing. The leaders in your school have to be visible and involved in those things, as well."
More information about Ridder, other award recipients and the program itself can be found at milkeneducatorawards.org.
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Woodbine Elementary School Principal Jill Ridder was in for quite the surprise during a school assembly with Iowa Department of Education Dire…
