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.

Texas educator Blanca Enriquez served as Director of Head Start

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Immigrant and former Texas first grade teacher Blanca Enriquez served as the Director of Head Start. Photo Credit: The Prospector

Many times gifted classroom teachers rise to positions of rest influence in the educational community. This is true of Blanca Enriquez, a former elementary school teacher who served as the Director of Head Start.

Head Start is a national program created by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Since its founding in 1965, Head Start has served more than 31 million low-income children and their families from birth to age 5 through comprehensive early childhood education, health and nutrition programs, and parent involvement. Blanca has held the position of Director since 2015.

Blanca was born in Ciudad Juarez, and immigrated to the United States when she was only six years old. She was raised in El Segundo Barrio in El Paso, Texas. This neighborhood is one of El Paso’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods, but it is also one of the poorest ZIP codes in the nation.

When she graduated from the city’s Bowie High School, Blanca placed in the top 10% of her class. She went on to earn both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso, and she completed the requirements for her PhD in Education Administration and Management at New Mexico State University.

Blanca launched her career as a professional educator in 1973 when she accepted a position as a teacher’s aide in El Paso. After she earned her degrees, she taught English as a Second language to kindergarteners and first graders in El Paso public schools. By 1986, she held the position of the Director of Region 19 of Head Start, a position she held for 21 years.

In addition to these roles, Blanca has also served as a member of the Texas State Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Education. She was appointed by former President George W. Bush as an advisory board member for the National Institute for Literacy, and she is a member of the National Association for the Education of Children, the Texas and National Associations for Bilingual Education, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

For her work as an educator, Blanca was inducted into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

Alabama teacher, school counselor Evelyn Anderson championed the rights of the mobility-impaired

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Alabama teacher, school counselor, and paraplegic Evelyn Anderson was a Chalkboard Champion for the mobility-impaired. Photo Credit: the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame

It is always an inspiration to read stories about individuals who have overcome challenges to achieve success in their life. One of these is Evelyn Anderson, a classroom teacher and paraplegic from Alabama who championed the rights of the mobility-impaired.

Evelyn was born on Aug. 2, 1926, in Greensboro, Alabama. She was only four years old when she was hit by a stray .22 caliber bullet, and the incident left her spine severed. For the rest of her life, she was confined to a wheelchair or a gurney. On this “rolling table” she would lie prone, with her lower body covered, propped up on an elbow. Despite her challenges, Evelyn graduated with honors from Judson College, with a double major in Art and History.

After she earned her degree, Evelyn began teaching art at Greensboro High School in 1948. In the beginning, her employment was unofficial because Alabama law prohibited severely handicapped individuals from working as teachers. However, due to Evelyn’s inspiration, legislation to repeal the discriminatory law was enacted in 1953. The following year, the trailblazing educator became the first severely handicapped teacher hired by Alabama public schools. In addition to this victory, she inspired the city of Greensboro to provide accommodations for mobility-impaired individuals, even before required by law.

After teaching for a few years, Evelyn returned to college and in 1964 earned a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Alabama. She then taught English and Spanish and served as a guidance counselor at Greensboro High School.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Evelyn worked to make major contributions to her community. 1977, she served on the Alabama Governor’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. She was also a founding member of the Greensboro Friends of the Library.

Throughout her life, Evelyn earned many accolades for her work as an educator. In 1974, she was named an Outstanding Educator, and the following year, she was honored as the Outstanding Counselor of the Year. In 1977, she was recognized as the Alabama Handicapped Professional Woman of the Year.

After a career that spanned over 30 years, both official and unofficial, Evelyn retired in 1982. In 1976, Alabama Educational Television aired a short documentary film about her life as an educator and champion for disabled children. In 2011, she was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.

Evelyn Anderson passed away on Oct. 7, 1998, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, following a brief illness. She was 72 years old. You can read more about this Chalkboard Champion at Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.

 

IL educator Brandy Hempen garners prestigious PAEMST honors

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Elementary school educator Dr. Brandy Hempen of Illinois has garnered prestigious 2022 PAEMST honors. Photo Credit: Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools.

I am always excited to share stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Dr. Brandy Hempen, an elementary school teacher who has garnered a 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

At the time of her nomination for the PAEMST in 2020, Brandy was teaching at Germantown Elementary School in Germantown in southern Illinois. In a career that has spanned ten years, she has taught in grades three, five, seven, and eight. She also served as a curriculum coordinator and instructional coach for kindergarten through eighth grade at Germantown Elementary School District 60. In addition to her work in the classroom, Brandy has conducted conferences on a variety of educational topics specializing in teaching mathematics in the 21st century. Currently she is an instructor of educational technology and leadership at the Teachers College at Western Governors University.

Brandy’s PAEMST is not the only recognition she has earned. In 2018, she was one of 27 educators from all over the globe selected by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development to serve as an Emerging Leader in Education. Additionally, in her early years of teaching, she was selected as an Early Career Educator by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The honored educator credits her fifth grade teacher for planting the idea to become a teacher in her mind. “My fifth grade teacher played a huge role in my life. She couldn’t have kids, so she kind of took me under her wing. I distinctly remember her saying to me one day, ‘You should be a teacher,'” she recalls. While she was working on her Bachelor’s degree, Brandy says, “I was doing my demonstration teaching in a second grade classroom and I fell head over heels in love with this work! As a student teacher, I wasn’t even getting paid, yet I couldn’t wait to wake up and go to work each day. That sealed it for me. I’ve been an educator ever since,” she concluded.

Brandy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in differentiated instruction, and her PhD in Educational Technology and Leadership.

Christopher Poulos of Connecticut inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Christopher Poulos, a Spanish teacher from Redding, Connecticut, is inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) as part of the 2022 class. Photo Credit: NTHF

It is always my pleasure to share stories about exceptional educators who earn recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Christopher Poulos, a Spanish language teacher from Connecticut who has been selected one of five inductees into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) for 2022.

Following his graduation from Southington High School in Southington, Connecticut, in 1993, Christopher enrolled in the University of Richmond. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Leadership Studies in 1997. He then completed a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, serving in Taiga, Olancho, Honduras. Later, Christopher earned his Master’s degree in Spanish Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. He also completed sixth-year graduate courses at the University of Connecticut.

In addition to his induction into the NTHF, Christopher has earned many accolades. He earned the Excellence in Education Award from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CDOE)  in 2015. He was named a Teacher-Leader in Residence by the CDOE from 2013-2015, and he was named the Hope Street Group National Teacher Fellow from 2013 to 2014. He served as a Fellow of the Aspen Institute from 2012 to 2013, and in 2007 he was named the Connecticut State Teacher of the Year.

Christopher’s career as an educator spans 21 years. Currently, he serves as a Spanish teacher and Instructional Leader for the Humanities at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Connecticut.

The honored educator offers this advice to beginning teachers:  “Be kind, have fair expectations, and let students know you care,” he says. “With this mantra in place, your students will come to school engaged and ready to learn, allowing you to share your wisdom and to enable future generations to grow into productive citizens, as they live the lives they dream.”

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in 1989 in Emporia, Kansas, to honor outstanding educators through a recognition program and museum. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. This year’s class of inductees represents the 30th anniversary of NTHF induction ceremonies when both the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2022 will be officially installed.