A New Jersey educator was among the best K through 12th grade teachers in the United States to be recognized for their hard work.

Jeanette Capritti, who teaches at Lawrence Middle School in Lawrence Township, received an invite to the Milken Educator Awards Forum and Gala in Washington, D.C.

She was one of only a couple of dozen teachers nationwide -- and the only one from New Jersey -- to win the Milken Award last year.

Cameras caught her surprise when she was announced as one of the winners last October.

This is the most prestigious award in teaching.

Educators who win this award get an invitation to the nation's capital and also a $25,000 cash prize.

Capritti is now one of a select group of Milken educators nationwide who are trying to shape the future of K through 12 education.