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.

Educator Mary Harris “Mother” Jones also a tireless union organizer

Posted on by

Educator Mary Harris “Mother” Jones dedicated her life to the improvement of the lives of others as a tireless union organizer. Photo Credit: Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries.

Many hardworking educators dedicate their lives to the improvement of the lives of others. One of these was Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, a teacher, dressmaker, and union organizer.

Mary Jones was born in 1837 in Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of impoverished tenant farmers. She was just a teenager when her family immigrated to Canada to escape the Irish Potato Famine. Later, her family moved to the United States.

Perhaps because of her own struggles, all her life, Mary was passionate about the welfare of children and the underprivileged. Following her graduation from normal school at age seventeen, she became a schoolteacher, first at a convent in Monroe, Michigan, and later in Memphis, Tennessee. It was in Memphis that she met and married George E. Jones, an iron molder and union member. Tragically, the young schoolteacher lost her husband and all four of their children, all under the age of five, in the yellow fever epidemic of 1867. Next, Mary relocated to Chicago and established a dressmaking shop. Unfortunately, the workshop was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Following the demise of her business, Mary began working as an organizer for the Knights of Labor and the United Mine Workers Union. She helped coordinate several major strikes, and she also co-founded the Industrial Workers of the World. Because she referred to the union members as “her boys,” Mary was often referred to as “Mother” Jones. Mary gained fame for mobilizing the wives of striking coal miners to march with brooms and mops in an effort to block strikebreakers from crossing the picket lines.  In 1902, one American district attorney called her “the most dangerous woman in America” because of her success in organizing mine workers and their families against the mine owners.

In 1903, Mary was greatly disturbed by the inadequate enforcement of child labor laws in mines and silk mills in Pennsylvania, so she organized one hundred youngsters in a Children’s March from Kensington, Philadelphia, to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster Bay, New York. In the procession, the children carried banners that proclaimed, “We want to go to school, and not the mines!”

Mary Harris Jones died in Adelphi, New York, on November 30, 1930, at the age of 93. She was buried in Union Miners Cemetery in Mount Olive, Illinois. In her honor, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones Elementary School in Adelphi was named after her. This amazing former schoolteacher will always be remembered as a Chalkboard Champion.

Former teacher Judy Hawley also served in Texas House of Reps

Posted on by

Former teacher and tennis coach Judy Hawley also served four terms in the Texas State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Caller Times

Many excellent educators also fill positions of prominence in the political sphere. One of these is Judy Hawley, a former teacher from Texas who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Judy was born on Dec. 7, 1945, in Portland, Texas. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1967 from Knox College, a private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois. Once she earned her degree, Judy inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position in the Gregory-Portland Independent School District. She also served as a tennis coach there.

In 1995, with support from the Texas Classroom Teachers Association and the Texas State Teachers Association, Judy was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent District 31 in the Texas House of Representatives. There she served as Vice Chair of the Transportation and Energy Resources Committees and Chair of the Rural Caucus. She also represented Texas as Vice Chair of the Southern States Energy Board and as a member of the National Energy Council. She was a member of the Texas House for a total of four terms.

Once she left the Texas State House, Judy served on the Corpus Christi Port Commission. She held that position from 2004 to 2016. In her last two years on the Commission she served as the Chair. Her biggest accomplishment during her tenure on the Port Commission was her effort to spearhead the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge replacement project. For her stellar work there, Judy was elected to the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor in 2019. The former teacher also served as the Chair of the Texas State Aquarium Board and Co-Chair of the Chamber Infrastructure Committee.

In recent years, Judy has served on numerous community boards, including those of the South Texas Institute of the Arts, South Texas Public Broadcasting, the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, Texas Maritime Museum, Regional Leaders Forum, and Citizens for Educational Excellence.

Today, she is 76 years old.

Former teacher and First Lady of North Carolina Jeanelle Moore

Posted on by

Former elementary school teacher Jeanelle Moore also served as the First Lady of North Carolina in the 1960’s. Photo Credit: Sate Archives of North Carolina

Many fine classroom teachers also serve as excellent politicians. One of these is Jeanelle Moore, an elementary school teacher who also filled the role of First Lady of North Carolina.

Jeanelle was born on July 13, 1911, in Pikeville, Tennessee. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Western Carolina Teachers College located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It was in 1931, during her college years, that Jeanelle met her husband, Dan K. Moore. The pair were married in 1933. Once Jeanelle earned her degree, she taught second grade in Sylva, North Carolina. She left the classroom after the birth of her first child.

During her husband’s 1964 campaign for governor of North Carolina, Jeanelle traveled throughout the state making appearances and giving speeches. At one point, she accompanied Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady of the United States, aboard Mrs. Johnson’s train, the Lady Bird Special, on a campaign tour of the state. The story goes that Mrs. Johnson was immensely impressed with the former teacher’s speaking ability. Lady Bird even told Jeanelle she would give anything to be able to speak as easily.

When Dan was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1965, Jeanelle became the state’s First Lady. She served in this capacity until 1969. During her tenure, the former teacher began a campaign to increase public awareness for the historic and cultural significance of the governor’s official residence. She established the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Advisory Committee and spearheaded fundraisers to provide for refurbishments, furnishings, and works of art for the building. In 1970, the mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

After her husband left office, Jeanelle served as a trustee of the Raleigh Boy Choir. She also became a trustee on the North Carolina Museum of Art, and she served as a member of the museum’s Education Committee. In addition, she served on the Board of Advisors at Meredith College and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Raleigh Rescue Mission. For this work, she and her husband were honored with the North Carolina Award for Public Service in 1980.

Jeanelle served on the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina School of the Arts and also became a member of the school’s foundation. She was also a generous financial supporter of the school. For these contributions, she earned a Giannini Award in 1996.

This tireless Chalkboard Champion passed away on Oct. 20, 1999, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is interred beside her husband in Historic Oakwood Cemetery.

Michelle Iwasaki garners prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Award

Posted on by

Elementary school educator Michelle Iwasaki of Hawaii garners prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Award. Photo Credit: Star Advertiser

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Michelle Iwasaki, an elementary school teacher from Hawaii who has earned a prestigious Milken Educator Awards for 2021-2022. The honor was awarded for her stellar work in improving student outcomes in her school.

Michelle works as an academic coach for students in kindergarten, first, fourth, and fifth grades at Kalihi Kai Elementary School in Honolulu. She was instrumental in initiating the school’s partnership with the Turnaround Arts, a program which transforms schools through the use of art. In addition, her creative instructional approach involves using such online programs as Tableau, Snapshot, Reading Images, and Visual Thinking to help boost student engagement and allows students to improve their proficiency in reading.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Michelle trains and mentors other teachers in art integration strategies, she conducts professional development, and she leads visitations and presentations to other schools. She trains colleagues in the use of strategies called Guided Language Acquisition Design for her English language learners, and she developed a schoolwide Response to Intervention-Academic (RTI-A) system complete with diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring, and evidence-based interventions. Michelle conducts bi-monthly classroom observations for her grade levels, shares data with teachers to help them elevate their instructional practice, and prepares new teachers for walk-throughs and observations. Furthermore, Michelle has presented at ECET2, a teacher-led community focused on teacher leadership and collaboration, as well as conferences like Read to Me and School of the Future. She serves on the school’s academic review, arts leadership and literacy grant teams, and in 2018-2019 she was also responsible for guiding her school through its accreditation process with WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges).

Michelle earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2003 and her Master’s degree in Education in 2004, both from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $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.