Candelario Barragan, center, a math teacher at El Dorado High School received congratulations Tuesday from students Eirick Allen, left, and Anthony Lopez, right, after he was named a Milken National Educator Award recipient. * Photo gallery: Milken award recipient

When officials from the Milken Family Foundation told an assembly of students and teachers at El Dorado High School that they were there to award an educator a $25,000 prize, math teacher Candelario Barragan turned to one of his students and joked about the money.

"I could buy a PlayStation," Barragan, 32, told the student.

Minutes later -- and to his surprise -- Barragan became the latest recipient of the National Educator Award and the prize money that goes with it.

He is one of four Texas teachers to receive the award this year, and just the second El Paso educator to be honored by the foundation.

"I am without words. I am very honored," a stunned Barragan said as he accepted the prize in front of cheers. "I have too much support to say that I earned this award by myself. This is for all the support I get."

Besides the $25,000 -- which he may spend as he sees fit -- Barragan will travel to Los Angeles in March to take part in red-carpet festivities with 74 other honored teachers.

The Milken award is considered by many to be the Academy Award of teaching, and officials said the honor means so much to educators because winners are picked by a committee that searches throughout the country for winners.

"You can't apply for this award, and you can't be nominated by your principal," said Jane Foley, the senior vice president at Milken. "We come to you and honor you. That's the best way of doing it."

Foley said they picked Barragan because of his passion in the classroom and his understanding of students when it comes to instruction.

Barragan teaches pre-calculus and calculus. And in spite of the courses' reputations of being two of the toughest in the high-school curriculum, the classes have a waiting list for enrollment.

"This couldn't have happened to a more deserving teacher," El Dorado Principal Nora Paugh said. "Mr. Barragan cares about the children and he goes well beyond his responsibilities to meet their needs."

Rebecca Montoya, a senior at El Dorado, said she often visits Barragan's classroom to get tutoring for her advanced-placement calculus class.

"I'll go over and he'll help me. He'll stay after school for many of us or even come in early to help us," she said. "It's awesome that he got the award. I almost cried when they said his name."

Barragan, the son of migrant farmworkers and a Bowie High School graduate, said teaching is his passion and that getting any money -- prize or paycheck -- for doing it is an added bonus.

He dedicated the prize to his mother, who is in the hospital fighting her third bout of cancer.

"She's a woman who loves life, and I learned everything from her," he said.

"She'll be proud of me, but she's a humble woman," Barragan added. "She'll tell me, 'Mijo, felicidades, pero que no se te suba a la cabeza' (Son, congratulations, but don't let it get to your head)."