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.

High school educator Kathleen MacDonald honored in Santa Clara, CA

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Former high school business teacher and vice principal Kathleen MacDonald was named as the Grand Marshall of the annual Parade of Champions in Santa Clara, California, October, 2022.  Photo Credit: DKG

It is always a pleasure to share stories of exceptional educators. One of these is Kathleen MacDonald, a former high school business teacher and Vice Principal from Santa Clara, California.

In 1964, Kathleen accepted a position as a business and typing teacher at Adrian C. Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, California. She served in this position until 1993, when she became the school’s Activities Director. In 1995, she was promoted to Vice Principal of Student Activities.

Kathleen is obviously beloved by her students, even the ones who had already graduated. “Mrs. MacDonald fosters an environment where students can intellectually and socially mature,” declares former student Heather Narciso. “She deals with the most unique and dynamic personalities of Wilcox and is committed to helping students succeed in every facet of their lives,” Narciso continues. “Every student has different leadership skills, but when you graduate, you know you’re the best leader that you can be—thanks to Mrs. MacDonald,” she concluded.

“Mrs. MacDonald offered me endless support when I was in high school, but what really makes her stand out is the time she invests in her students’ lives after they graduate,” said Narciso. “She keeps track of her former students and genuinely cares about their future and lives in the real world.”

Kathleen was inducted into the Delta Rho Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in 1984, a prestigious organization for women educators. She served her chapter as their Scholarship Chair for many years.

For her many years of dedication as an educator, Kathleen has earned many accolades. In 2011, she was honored by the San Francisco 49ers and Symetra Financial as one of their “Hero in the Classroom” winners. On Oct. 1, 2022, Kathleen served as the Grand Marshal for the annual Parade of Champions in Santa Clara. Two weeks later, this Chalkboard Champion was honored when the Santa Clara Unified School District, to whom she has dedicated nearly 60 years of her professional life, opened a brand new high school christened Kathleen MacDonald High School in her honor. To learn more about this auspicious day, click here.

SD elementary teacher Abby Turbak garners 2022 Milken Educator Award

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South Dakota elementary school teacher Abby Turbak has garnered a prestigious 2022 Milken Educator Award. Photo Credit: Watertown Public Opinion

I always enjoy sharing an inspirational story about a talented educator who has earned accolades for her work in the classroom. Today’s story is about Abby Turbak, an elementary school teacher from Watertown, South Dakota. Abby has garnered a prestigious 2022 Milken Educator Award.

Abby teaches first grade at McKinley Elementary School in the Watertown School District. Her career has spanned 13 years, the last eight of them at McKinley. In addition to her work with her first-graders, this hardworking educator has served on her District’s Progress and Curriculum Committees and her school’s McKinley’s Response to Intervention team. She also leads summer professional development sessions for District teachers on topics such as math grouping strategies, classroom management, technology, parent communication, and time management. When the pandemic closed the schools in 2020, Abby helped colleagues create their Google Classrooms to ensure students received high-quality instruction while learning at home.

Obviously, Abby was born to teach. “I became an educator because I wanted to make a difference,” she declares. “I love kids. I love seeing them learn and grow.” She earned the prestigious award in recognition of her efforts to maintain high expectations for her students, for expertly integrating technology into her curriculum, and for sharing her passion for professional development with her colleagues.

Abby earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2010 and her Master’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education in 2011, both from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

New Mexico teacher and pioneer Clara Belle Williams

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Clara Belle Williams, a beloved teacher in New Mexico, at the time of her college graduation from Prairie View College, 1905. Photo Credit: Blackpast

Many African American teachers are distinguished for their firsts. One of these is Clara Belle Williams, a beloved New Mexico educator who was the first Black student to graduate from New Mexico State University (NMSU).

Clara Belle Drisdale was born in Plum, Texas, in October 29, 1885. As a young woman, she attended Prairie View Normal and Independent College in Prairie View, Texas. The institution is now known as Prairie View A & M University. A brilliant and diligent student, Clara Belle was named valedictorian of her graduating class in 1908.

After her graduation from college, Clara Belle accepted a teaching position at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she taught for more than 20 years. During this time, Las Cruces public schools were segregated. While teaching in 1928, she enrolled in summer school courses at the New Mexico College of Agriculture & Mechanic Arts (NMCA&MA). Shamefully, many of her professors would not allow her inside the classroom because she was Black. But that didn’t stop the intrepid teacher. She took notes from the hallway, while standing up. Clara Belle finally earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English from NMCA&MA in 1937. She was 51 years old at the time. Always a lifelong learner, Clara Belle continued her education well beyond her graduation date, taking graduate level classes into the 1950’s.

In 1917, Clara Belle married Jasper Williams. The union produced three sons: Jasper, James, and Charles. When her sons were grown, all three of them attended college and graduated with medical degrees.

During her lifetime, Clara Belle Williams was awarded many honors.  In 1961, New Mexico State University  named Williams Street on the main campus in her honor. Additionally, NMSU conferred an an honorary doctorate upon her in 1980. The university named Sunday, February 13, 200t, Clara Belle Williams Day. Included in the festivities was the renaming of the NMSU English Building as Clara Belle Williams Hall.

This remarkable educator passed away at the age of 108 on July 3, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois. She was interred at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. To learn more about Clara Belle, click on this link: New Mexico State University Library.

NY teacher Lynda Brennan earns prestigious PAEMST honors

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Congratulations go to elementary school math teacher Lynda Brennan of New York. She has earned a prestigious PAEMST. Photo Credit: Mt. Kisco Daily Voice

Congratulations to elementary school math teacher Lynda Brennan of Suffern, New York, an elementary math teacher who has earned a prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

This prestigious honor recognizes the dedication, hard work, and important role that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize, a certificate signed by President Joe Biden, and a trip to Washington, DC, to attend an honors ceremony with the President.

Lynda has been a teacher at Richard P. Connor (RPC) Elementary School for 26 years. She inaugurated her elementary teaching career as a kindergarten teacher. She has also taught fifth grade mathematics and science. For the past 12 years, she has served her District as a mathematics specialist, working with area Math Ambassadors.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Lynda works with Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State (AMTNYS) as a Conference Committee Chair; Ten County Mathematics Educators Association (TCMEA) as an NCTM Representative; NCTM as a volunteer magazine referee; and with the Rockland Teacher Center where she facilitates a grant-funded elementary mathematics regional Professional Learning Community. In addition, she has been a speaker at national, state, and local conferences, including the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), NCTM, AMTNYS, TCMEA, New Cubed, Building Math Minds and Minds on Math Virtual Summits, and the Penn Wood School in the United Kingdom.

As if all this were not enough, Lynda is the founder of the Math MileMarkers children’s book series, a project she inaugurated seven years ago. She says her philosophy behind this endeavor is that mathematics-infused stories can connect all learners to the subject of mathematics in visually powerful ways. The series includes such titles as  “Miss Penny Says Prove It!” (2014), “On my way to Grandma’s House” (2015), “Charlie in Fraction City” (2016), and “Jayla Number Navigator” (2018).

Lynda earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management in 1986 from Siena College in Loudonville, New York, and her Master’s degree in Elementary Education in 1990 from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York.