Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

Julia Richman: Educator, philanthropist, author, and social reformer

Posted on by

Julia Richman: Educator, philanthropist, author, and social reformer, at age 19. Photo credit: Public Domain

Just about everyone agrees that a teacher can profoundly influence the lives of the students in his or her classroom. But Julia Richman, an educator, philanthropist, author, and social reformer from New York City, influenced the lives of students in an entire city.

Julia was born October 12, 1855, in New York City, the daughter of German-speaking Jewish immigrants from the Czech Republic. At a young age, Julia made some important decisions about her own future. “I am not pretty…and I am not going to marry,” she once declared, “but before I die, all New York will know my name.”

Julia was determined to become a teacher, a decision her very traditional father vehemently opposed. In the late 1800’s, an eighth grade education was considered sufficient for girls. However, after a protracted battle royal, Julia convinced her father to allow her to pursue her goal of becoming a professional educator. In 1872, Julia realized her dream when she graduated from Hunter College.

Over the next four decades, Julia worked tirelessly as a classroom teacher, principal, school superintendent, and social reformer. Inside the classroom and within her community, she improved the lives of countless newly arrived immigrants, special needs students, and delinquents: the children 19th-century society typically considered “throwaway kids.” This innovative educator tossed away the conventional methods of instruction of her day, and designed model programs that educators from all over the world came to observe. She instituted numerous progressive practices that are still used in public schools today.

When Julia passed away in 1912, the New York City Board of Education ordered the flags of all NYC public schools be flown at half mast in her honor. It appeared that Julia’s prediction as an eleven-year-old had come true: all New York City knew her name.

Want to learn more about Julia Richman? I’ve written an entire chapter about this amazing educator in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available on amazon or bn.com. Available in print or ebook versions.

OR educator Willie Williams garners OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education

Posted on by

Social Studies teacher and Athletic Director Willie Williams garners OnPoint Excellence in Education Award. Photo credit: Instagram

It is always a pleasure for me to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition with their work with young people. One of these is Willie Williams, a Social Studies teacher and Athletics Director from Portland, Oregon. Willlie has garnered a 2023 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education award.

Willie teaches history and economics at Roosevelt High School in North Portland. His curriculum includes lessons about under-represented groups and encourages students to think critically about history and justice. Willie also serves his school as the Athletic Director and the advisor for the Black Student Union.

He has a reputation for treating everyone on campus as family. “I call everyone in my classroom family,” he says. “When I address the class in the morning, I say, ‘good morning family.’ In fact, it was his students who nominated him for the coveted OnPoint award.

The honored educator relocated to Portland from New Orleans, Louisiana, ten years ago. He enjoys sharing his native culture with his school community. He even serves Louisiana gumbo to over 1,500 students and staff every year. “It’s a week-long process,” Willie explains, “but it’s something I love doing. It’s soul food,” he continues. “I think good food makes people smile and makes them feel good. That’s what I want to see,” he concludes.

Willie is one of four teachers in Oregon who have been recognized with an OnPoint award. The other three recipients were Caryn Anderson of Portland; Lucas Dix of Milwaukee, Oregon; and Samuel Platt of Bend. As part of the award, all four honored teachers will have their rent or mortgage paid for an entire year. In addition, each teacher’s school will receive a $2,500 donation. To learn more about the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education, visit OnPointcu.com.

The valuable contributions of school libraries

Posted on by

Most educators would agree that school library programs are extremely valuable to students. But did you know that, according to recent studies, strong school libraries help to increase standardized test scores? Statistics show that public schools with strong school library programs outperform those without such programs on high-stakes standardized tests. This is true regardless of parent education, poverty levels, ethnicity, or the percentage of English language learners found in the population of the school. Increases in library program elements correspond to standardized test scores at all grade levels, including elementary, middle school, and high school.

Library elements that contribute to increased test scores include the total number of hours the library is open, the total amount of technology available in the library, the total services provided by trained library staff, the presence of a program of curriculum-integrated information with literacy instruction, the informal instruction of students in the use of resources, providing teachers with information about new resources, and providing reference assistance to both teachers and students.

A strong school library program is described as one that provides a full-time teacher/librarian, a full-time paraprofessional, a robust and up-to-date collection of digital, print, and media resources with a budget to support it, and abundant access to the library’s facilities, technology, and resources. How well does your school’s library program meet the criteria?

To learn more, read the report, Remodeling Literacy Learning: Making Room for What Works, which details key findings from a nationwide survey of more than 2,400 educators representing all grade levels and subject areas. The report investigates the connection between professional learning, educator collaboration, and student learning.

Kentucky teacher Kyri Demby is also a musician, author, and motivational speaker

Posted on by

Elementary school teacher Kyri Demby of Kentucky has also earned acclaim as a musician, author, and motivational speaker. Photo Credit: Kentucky Department of Education

Elementary school teacher Kyri Demby has earned a name for himself as a musician, author, and motivational speaker from Kentucky.

Kyri currently teaches music and art in grades kindergarten through five at Jacob Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. His career as an educator spans 15 years.

As a musician, Kyri uses music to build classroom community. And he also uses his talent to benefit his community. In fact, every year on his birthday he provides a benefit concert for the Ronald McDonald House. Kyri describes himself as a gospel songwriter. He has written songs for many churches and gospel groups throughout the country.

And music is only one of this educator’s talents. Kyri has published a variety of books, including Lori Biscuit: The Musical Detective series; the Tales of the Still Quarters series; the Uncle Jabbo’s Stable series; and Demby’s Playful Parables. “As a teacher, I always tell stories to my kids,” Kyri once said. “One day I decided maybe I should write these stories down.”

For his work in the classroom, Kyri garnered a 2021 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education by the Kentucky Department of Education. Since 2004, the award has been given to a person or group within the state that displays outstanding leadership, commitment, and service promoting equity and opportunities. The criteria for winning the award include successful efforts to close socio-economic and/or racial achievement gaps and significantly improving learning, achievement, or other measured outcomes among students of color or economically disadvantaged students. The award is named for Samuel Robinson, a former educator who served on the Kentucky Board of Education from 1991 to 2004. Robinson was known as an advocate for racial and social justice and for promoting the concept that education can make a difference in the lives of all students.

Kyri earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Teacher Education from Bethune-Cookman University in 2001. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of South Florida in 2008.