Utah honored the leader helping thousands of Alpine students learn to read. Kerry Milner, Alpine School District’s Director of Curriculum for Elementary Literacy, received the Science of Reading Award from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) during a surprise presentation on February 9 at the ASD Professional Development Center. The recognition celebrates her leadership in a historic, districtwide literacy initiative that has strengthened teaching practice and improved student outcomes across grades K–6.
“Kerry oversaw every elementary teacher getting Science of Reading training, which is an enormous amount of work,” said Sam Rencher, Director of Curriculum. “It’s that training that really led the state to nominate her, because it was so good.”
USBE leadership, the superintendent, and ASD Board members attended the award ceremony, where students she knew from Orchard Elementary, Milner’s former school, performed to honor her.
Milner said the award reflects the unified work of the district’s literacy team. “This belongs to my team,” she said. “Nobody does this stuff alone… For me to take full credit for something like this would not be appropriate at all because I have a really, really good team.”
She explained that the group oversees LETRS training, Science of Reading instruction, curriculum adoption, reading interventionists, summer school, reporting standards, and other comprehensive K–6 literacy systems.
As principal of Orchard Elementary and now as Alpine’s Director of Literacy curriculum for grades K-6, Milner’s commitment has always centered on students. “You have to be able to read and write in order to do anything else,” she said. “It’s kind of the king of all content. You just know the doors that are closed to individuals if they don’t have those skills.” Her student-first mindset remains the foundation of all her work in Alpine School District.
Rencher described the award as the highest-level recognition USBE gives for literacy leadership. “This one is the bigger one,” he said. “It’s for who in the state has done more to further the work of literacy than anybody else.”
He highlighted three core accomplishments that set Milner apart: districtwide LETRS and Science of Reading training, comprehensive curriculum adoption, and multi-year literacy training that has prepared teachers at every school to deliver high-quality instruction.
He also stressed her depth of expertise. “She is so dedicated to the kids learning how to read,” he said. “She understands it deeply. She knows how to get kids to learn how to read. She was effective at the teacher level, then as a principal, and now she’s extended that to the whole district.”
The impact is visible in the data. While incoming kindergarten readiness has declined in recent years, student literacy outcomes have risen each year. “Our kindergarteners are coming in lower than they have in the past and they are leaving higher than they have in the past,” Milner said.
Rencher emphasized that these gains are not temporary. “It would be impossible to measure the good that she’s done,” he said. “She’s built the capacity of teachers. That’s something that will continue to pay off for a really long time.”
Milner believes strong literacy outcomes come from strong partnerships among teachers, families, and the community. “Parents don’t have to teach their children how to read—that’s the job of the educator,” she said. “But read to your children, talk with them, have conversations that help increase vocabulary.” She encouraged families to engage in daily literacy habits such as visiting libraries, discussing new words, and spending distraction-free time with their children.
Rencher echoed that message. “People should feel really good about having their kids in Alpine School District,” he said. “Our teachers have the very best materials and the best training. Parents should feel really good about where they’re at because their kids have got the best teachers with the best support that I know of.”
Milner’s recognition underscores Alpine School District’s culture of excellence and its commitment to student-centered experiences. Through aligned systems, high-quality instruction, and dedicated educators, elementary students across the district are gaining the literacy skills that open doors for a lifetime.