One hundred and sixty educators from around the country received checks of $25,000 each from the Milken Family Foundation to recognize teaching excellence.

The foundation has given $4 million in unrestricted grants as part of its yearly National Educator Award program. The awards went to four teachers from each of the 35 states that have previously taken part in the program and 20 teachers in three states - Alabama, Arizona and Florida - new to the Milken awards.

The foundation has given nearly $30 million to 1,330 educators since the program started in 1985. The foundation was started by Michael Milken and his brother, Lowell, who serves as the institution's president.

Michael Milken, 52, paid more than $1 billion in fines and served two years in prison in the early 1990s for stock market trading violations. He has also started a for-profit educational program, the California-based Knowledge Universe chain of private grammar schools.