Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Educator Janis Barr serves in high positions in DKG
Former elementary and middle school educator Janis Barr served in high positions in the prestigious organization Delta Kappa Gamma, International. Photo Credit: DKG
Many outstanding educators have been inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG), International, a prestigious professional organization that promotes the professional success of women educators.
DKG admits members who work together to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships for teachers who need support to improve their professional skills.
Janis taught at the elementary and junior high levels for 15 years. She served as the Title I/EIA/SIP resource teacher and as an instructional media coordinator where she started a new school library and two computer labs. Janis also served as an administrative assistant/counselor at the junior high level for two years and an elementary principal for 11 years. Working for the State of California, Janis was a member of the California Technology Assistance Project Steering Committee, a technology trainer, and a grant reader and writer. She also served on the Administrative Credentials Program Advisory Board for Fresno Pacific University and Chapman College.
This exemplary educator has been a member of DKG for 33 years. She served as Treasurer and President of Epsilon Psi Chapter in Area XVII, and Vice President and President of Zeta Iota Chapter in Area I in California. At the state level, she has served as an Area Director; a member and Chairwoman of the Communications Committee; Chairwoman of the Bylaws Committee; State Second Vice President; State President; and a California state representative to the chartering of Japan in 2012. Finally, at the International level, Janis has been on the Leadership Development Committee; trained incoming state presidents from the US, Latin America, and Japan; and she was the 2018 International Elections Committee Chairwoman and Steering Committee Co-Chair of the 2019 Southwest Regional Conference; and she currently serves as the Southwest regional director.
Janis earned her Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach. She earned her Master’s degree in Administrative Services from Fresno Pacific University. She also completed coursework at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Share this:
Educator Phyllis Robinson also served in Texas House of Reps
Texas schoolteacher and school counselor Phyllis Robinson served four terms in her state’s House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Legislative Reference Library of Texas
During Women’s History Month, we honor the many excellent classroom teachers who have also served their communities in political and legislative positions. One of these is Phyllis Robinson, a Texas teacher and school counselor who was elected to her state’s House of Representatives.
Phyllis was born on Sept. 11, 1946, in the small town of Gonzales, Texas. As a young woman, she attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, where she earned her degree in 1967. She earned her Master’s degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1972. Once she earned her degrees, Phyllis worked diligently as a teacher and school counselor in her home town.
In 1982, Phyllis was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Texas State House of Representatives. In the Democratic primary, she garnered 63 percent of the vote, more than any of the three men who were running against her. With no Republican opposition in the general election, she handily won that election as well.
The first woman elected to represent rural District 31 in that body, the former teacher served four consecutive terms, which spanned the years from 1983 to 1991. While there, she became a member of the Committees for Agriculture and Livestock; County Affairs; Fire and Protection Standards; and Insurance. She also took a great interest in matters that pertained to education, tax relief, the state’s drug problems, and incentives for farmers, ranchers, and oil and gas development. Of the 44 bills she introduced, 23 were passed.
At 77 years of age, Phyllis Robinson has retired from politics and has returned to Gonzales, where she now lives with her husband, Thomas Miller.
Share this:
CO teacher Ashley Lowe develops individualized student learning plans
Colorado English teacher Ashley Lowe builds meaningful relationships and individualized student learning plans. Photo Credit: Pikes Peak Early College
Our nation’s students are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers in the classroom. One of these is Ashley Lowe, a middle school English teacher from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Ashley teaches eighth grade at Falcon Middle School in Peyton, Colorado. Her career as an educator spans four years. Prior to entering the teaching profession, she worked as an associate editor and video journalist for Pulp Newsmagazine.
Building meaningful relationship with students is powerful and important, asserts Ashley. She also strives to listen to others, set fair but high expectations for students, and communicate her content knowledge in numerous ways to appeal to all types of learners. And she also says that, in addition to building the language skills of reading, writing, and oral communication, she also teaches empathy. “As educators, we have to remember that beyond the confines of our classrooms and schools, there are students who have been positively impacted in small and large ways,” she declares.
Ashley is well-known for working collaboratively with her peers. She is a participant in her campus Modern Teacher group. The mission of the group is to create a learner-centered culture on the campus. In fact, her individualized student learning plans are so learner-centered that they were nationally recognized at the 2021 National Conference on Digital Convergence.
For her work in the classroom, Ashley has earned many accolades. She was named her District’s Teacher of the Year in 2021. And this year, she is one of seven finalists named by the Colorado Department of Education for her state’s Teacher of the Year.
Ashely attended Pueblo Community College, where she earned her Associate of Arts degree. While there, she garnered a Rising Star Award for her participation in community service projects and programs in 2016. She served as a Destination Imagination Team Manager for elementary students, and she created the first campus book club to build a stronger reading community. In 2019, Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Colorado State University, Pueblo. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in English through an online program at Arizona State University.
Share this:
NYC visual arts teacher Cheriece White garners FLAG Award
Visual arts educator Cheriece White has garnered a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education. Photo Credit: The 74
Our nation’s students are fortunate that there are so many innovative educators teaching in our public schools. One of these is Cheriece White, a forward-thinking visual arts instructor who teaches at Soundview High School in the Bronx, New York City. She has garnered a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education.
Cheriece inaugurated her teaching career in 2013, when she was hired to design a multimedia program for the newly-built Soundview High. Accepting the position meant creating the program from the ground floor up. Today, the curriculum she developed is the most popular program on her campus. In the beginning, Cheriece recalls, “It was a lot of self-teaching because at that point, social media was starting to boom back in 2013,” she says. “It really transformed content creation… and there was no professional development on it,” she remembers.
To meet the challenge, Cheriece designed a curriculum that includes lessons on elements and principles of design, color theory, and color psychology. Her instruction incorporates such topics as digital storytelling, website design, social media content creation, infographic design, logo design, and movie editing. Students are given opportunities to use digital technology to create commercials, develop movies, and plan future businesses. “It’s my personal belief that art is always changing as technology advances,” observes Cheriece. “So it made sense to create a curriculum that not only engaged the students’ current interest in social media and technology, but also educated them on how to design digital content, videography, and infographics for these platforms,” she continues.
Cheriece earned her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts with a double emphasis in Media Communications and Media Design from State University of New York College, Old Westbury, in 2009. She earned her Master’s degree in Art and Art Teacher Education from Long Island University Post in 2012. Prior to her work as a teacher, she worked for one year as a specialist for Apple Inc.
For her innovative work in the classroom, Cheriece earned a 2022 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence from the NYC Department of Education. The honor recognizes and celebrates extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment.
To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to an article about her published by New York State United Teachers.
