Kyle Spaltholz thought he was attending a routine assembly about Portsmouth Middle School’s positive learning environment on Thursday morning.
Instead, the seventh and eighth grade school counselor became Rhode Island’s sole recipient of the 2025-26 Milken Educator Award — and $25,000 richer.
The surprise announcement came during what students and staff believed would be a standard gathering in the school gym. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green led the assembly before Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley took the stage to reveal the honor.
“Kyle Spaltholz’s boundless leadership, resourcefulness, and genuine passion for supporting others elevates everything he does,” said Foley, herself a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator. “Whether he is teaching, coaching, or counseling, Portsmouth’s students are fortunate to have his guidance as they transition to high school.”
Spaltholz is Rhode Island’s 85th Milken Educator Award recipient since the state joined the program in 1990 and the first from Portsmouth School Department. He joins a national network of more than 3,000 recipients spanning the awards’ nearly 40-year history.
The award, often called the “Oscars of Teaching,” has no formal application process. Outstanding K-12 educators are selected while early to mid-career for their achievements and future promise.
“Over his tenure at Portsmouth Middle School, Kyle has earned the trust of both his students and his colleagues because of his solution-oriented, student-first approach,” Infante-Green said. “He represents the very best of Rhode Island educators.”
A former English language arts teacher and instructional systems coach, Spaltholz has spearheaded numerous initiatives at the school. He led the implementation of the RAMP program, aligning K-12 counseling practices to national standards set by the American School Counselor Association. He also helped develop the school’s multitiered system of supports framework, co-authored the district’s response to intervention handbook, and organized curriculum for the college and career readiness class “21st Century Skills.”
Recognizing Portsmouth’s large military population, Spaltholz created Anchored4Life, a peer-to-peer club helping students navigate life changes often caused by deployment. He also founded the school’s Minecraft for Education club and co-facilitates the social justice club.
Spaltholz earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary English from the University of Rhode Island in 2011 and his master’s degree in school counseling from Providence College in 2024.
The $25,000 prize is unrestricted, and recipients can use it however they choose. Spaltholz will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., from June 12-14, 2026.
The Milken Family Foundation has distributed more than $146 million to educators since the awards began in 1987.