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.

Jeannie Ritter: The Sp Ed teacher that became Colorado’s First Lady

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Jeannie Ritter, a former Special Education teacher, also served as the First Lady for the state of Colorado. During her tenure, she championed mental health awareness and reforms. Photo credit: Rose Community Foundation.

Many fine educators also serve their communities as public servants. One of these is Jeannie Ritter, who once served her state as the First Lady of Colorado, and a champion for mental health awareness and reforms.

Jeannie was born on June 14, 1958, in Arlington, Virginia. As the daughter of a US Navy Captain, the young girl moved frequently. She spent portions of her childhood in Texas, Georgia, California, Washington, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. She settled in Colorado in 1972. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado.

As a young woman, Jeannie served in the Peace Corps in Tunisia and later returned to Africa along with her husband as Catholic missionaries. She is also a former flight attendant and teacher. Her career as an educator spanned ten years, and she taught Special Education for students will severe challenges in Denver Public Schools.

In 2006, Jeannie’s husband, Bill Ritter, was elected Governor of Colorado on the Democratic ticket, and Jeannie became the state’s First Lady. She served in this capacity from Jan. 9, 2007, until Jan. 11, 2011. During her tenure, Jeannie helped raise awareness regarding mental health issues, confessing that her perspective on mental health was influenced by her training as a teacher for emotionally disturbed children and also by having an older sister who suffers from bipolar disorder.

Since her husband left office, Jeannie has remained active in the community serving on numerous boards and committees, including the Depression Center, CeDAR (Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation), Rose Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, the Colorado Coalition for Parity, the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund, SIM Advisory Board, and Rocky Mountain PBS Board.

Viola Ruffner: The teacher that influenced Booker T. Washington

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Vermont school teacher Viola Knapp Ruffner became a great influencer and supporter of forward-thinking academic and civil rights activist Booker t. Washington. Photo credit: Find a Grave.

It is no secret that dedicated educators influence the lives of many successful historical figures. One of these was Viola Knapp Ruffner, a school teacher who greatly influenced civil rights activist Book T. Washington.

Viola was born in February, 1812, in Arlington, Vermont. As a young girl she attended Bennington Academy in Bennington, Vermont. Once she earned her education, Viola taught in North Carolina and New Jersey. Later she established her own school, but when she became too ill, she accepted a position as a governess to General Lewis Ruffner, a widowed slat and coal mine owner in Kanawah County West Virginia. The general was a community leader, and even served in the Virginia General Assembly. In 1843, Viola married the General.

Viola had a reputation for being hardworking, conservative, and an exacting mistress, and sometimes had difficulty keeping household help. However, these attributes appealed to a young Booker T. Washington, who became a worker in her household following the Emancipation. In addition to becoming her employee, the teenager also became Viola’s private student. When he left her empty, Viola encouraged Booker to pursue further education. He professed a deep respect for her all his life, and Viola and her husband were staunch supporters and benefactors of Booker in his efforts to secure greater educational opportunities and political rights for African American citizens.

Booker and Viola remained good friends until her death at age 91 on December 5, 1903, in Louisville, Kentucky. She is interred at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.

 

Covid-19 claims life of Kentucky teacher Amanda Nutt

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Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Math teacher Amanda Nutt of Horse Cave, Kentucky, succumbed to the disease on Sept. 15, 2021. Photo credit: Winn Funeral Home.

Sadly, we must report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of another beloved educator. Amanda Nutt, a math teacher in Cave, Kentucky, succumbed to the disease on Sept. 15, 2021. She was just 36 years old.

Amanda taught at Caverna High School in the Caverna Independent School District in Horse Cave. She taught in the district for six years. Teaching was a lifelong passion for the fallen educator. “I wanted to be the teacher that I needed when I was younger,” Amanda once said. “And I strive to be the teacher that incorporates fun and active learning in the classroom.”

For her work in the classroom, Amanda earned many accolades. She was named Hart County Teacher of the Year in 2020, and she earned a B.H. Weaver Outstanding Educator of the Year the same year. She also garnered an Excellence in Teaching Award from Campbellsville University in 2019. In addition, she was also nominated for the 2020 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award and the Western Kentucky University Distinguished Educator Award.

Amanda’s passion for the field of education was very evident. She was selected to be a GoTeachKy ambassador. Through that organization, she helped the Kentucky Department of Education recruit new educators to the profession in an attempt to address a critical teacher shortage currently affecting the state.

When she was not teaching, Amanda was an avid music fan who spent time working with bands and photographing concerts.

The Chalkboard Champion earned her degree at Western Kentucky University. At the time of her passing, she was pursuing her Ph.D. degree in Educational Leadership from the same institution and was on track to graduate this year.

Justin Johnson named Illinois’ 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Music educator Justin Johnson from Skokie, Illinois, has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Niles Township High School.

It is always exciting when talented educators are recognized for their work in the classroom. One of these is Justin Johnson, a music teacher from Skokie, Illinois, who has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Currently, Justin serves as the Director of Bands at Niles West High School in Skokie. There he has a reputation for being a kind, caring role model who always has the students’ best interests in mind, says Dr. Karen Ritter, Principal of Niles West. “Mr. Johnson is everything the Teacher of the Year Award represents,” she asserted. “He is an intense instructor who is so in tune with his students and their needs and brings them all together in an ensemble setting,” she continued. “When I visited Mr. Johnson’s classroom last year, I felt that I could spend the whole day there. I would have loved to have had a teacher like Justin Johnson,” she concluded.

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Justin has served on several nationally recognized ensembles, including the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, a position he held for over a decade and the US Army All-American Marching Band. He has adjudicated and coordinated clinics for concert ensembles, marching bands, indoor drumlines, winter guards, and jazz ensembles throughout the country. He is also an active member of the Illinois Music Education Association and the National Association for Music Education.

For his work in the classroom, Justin has earned many accolades. In addition to the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year, he was named a finalist for the Golden Apple Award in 2016 and a Teacher of Distinction the same year. In 2020,  he garnered Niles West High School’s Zemsky Teacher of the Year Award.

Justin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.