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.

NYC Fantina Cruz Roll has been honored with 2024 Big Apple Award

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Spanish language teacher Fantina Cruz Roll has earned a 2024 Big Apple Award from the New York City Public Schools. Photo credit: Fantina Roll

New York Spanish language  teacher Fantina Cruz Roll has been honored with a 2024 Big Apple Award from the New York City Public Schools. The Big Apple Awards is an annual program that recognizes and celebrates New York City teachers who inspire students, model great teaching, and enrich their school communities.

Fantina teaches Spanish-language courses at Albert Shanker School for Visual Arts in Queens. Her journey as a professional educator began when she was hired as a paraprofessional in District 75. She worked in that position for three years, gaining valuable experience working with students with diverse learning needs. Later she enrolled at Hunter College, taking courses until she earned her Master’s degree in Education. Then she inaugurated her career as a Spanish language teacher, a career that has spanned 18 years.

In 2010, Fantina inaugurated the Multicultural Festival at her school. Today, this event has evolved into the most significant cultural event within her school community and in District 30.  The festival underscores her commitment to creating inclusive environments where every culture is valued and respected.

As the Multicultural and Wellness Committee Coordinator on her campus, Fantina prioritizes building strong connections with families, the community, and the school. These roles have allowed her to cultivate a welcoming, inclusive environment that promotes wellness and celebrates diversity. Her vision as an educator is to prepare students for life by helping them embrace their strengths and work on their weaknesses with a positive mindset. Furthermore, to foster leadership skills, Fantina provides opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning, create lessons, and teach one another.

Congratulations, Fantina!

Elem teacher Mabel Desmond served four terms in Maine’s House of Reps

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Elementary school teacher  Mabel Desmond of Maine served four terms in her state’s House of Representatives. Photo credit: Bangor Daily News

Many exemplary educators have also served our country in political offices. One of these is Mabel Desmond, a teacher who served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives.

Mabel was born on January 30, 1929, in Lower Southampton, New Brunswick, Canada. After her high school graduation, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1964 from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and her Master’s degree in Education in 1975 from the University of Maine at Orono. She then taught from 1949 to 1994 in public elementary schools in Bridgewayter, Presque Isle, Mapleton, and Ashland. In addition, from 1991 to 1994 she served as an adjunct professor at her university alma mater.

During her long and distinguished career, Mabel earned many honors. For example, in 2001, she received the State Leader in Education Award and Legislator of the Year Award. She also garnered the Alpha Psi State Achievement Award. In addition, she was  a member of the Advisory Committee for the Prevention of Chemical Abuse, and she served as the secretary and past president of the University of Maine-Presque isle Alumni Association. She was also a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (DKG), an organization that promotes leadership opportunities and professional development for women educators.

Mabel’s entry into politics occurred when she was elected to the Maine House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket in 1994. She represented District 146 for four terms, until 2002. While in the legislature, the former teacher served on the committees for Education and Cultural Affairs. She was also appointed by Maine’s Governor John Baldacci to the Maine State Board of Education, where she served from 2007 to 2010, and she served as the Chair for the Maine Education Research Institute.

While working on the Education Committee, then Governor King’s Maine Learning Initiative (popularly known as the Laptop Project) was voted “Ought not to pass,” and it wouldn’t have passed, except for one lone dissenting vote cast by Mabel. Because of her vote, the initiative ultimately was adopted, and a laptop was made available to every seventh and eighth-grade student in the state of Maine so they could use it during their school years.

Sadly, Mabel passed away on March 2, 2023, in Mapleton, Maine. She was 94 years old.

WI teacher Cindy Stetzer earns prestigious PAEMST

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I am always excited to shine a spotlight on an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in public school classrooms. Today, I highlight the story of outstanding science teacher Cindy Stetzer of Galesville, Wisconsin. Recently she was named a recipient of a prestigious PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching) from former President Joe Biden. Cindy teaches at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School (G-E-T High School) in her rural community. To learn more about this remarkable teacher, view this video:

Janet Damon named Colorado state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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High school history teacher and Teacher Librarian Janet Damon has been named Colorado’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.  Photo credit: Colorado League of Charter Schools

I am always excited to share the story of a superlative teacher who has received recognition for their work with young people. Today I share the story of Janet Damon, a high school Social Studies teacher and Teacher Librarian who has been named the 2025 Teacher of the Year for her home state of Colorado.

Janet has worked as a teacher, literacy interventionist, and teacher librarian in the Denver Public School District. She has taught in the district for more than 25 years. Currently, she teaches history at DELTA High School. 
 
Her lessons focus on inquiry, research, and digital storytelling. In her courses, students create solutions to problems faced by their communities. For example, they create podcasts to advocate for issues such as homelessness, gun violence, incarceration, inflation, immigration, racism, health care, and drug addiction. 
 
In addition to her work in the classroom, Janet founded a nonprofit she calls Afros and Books. The organization supports access to books for marginalized individuals in her community. Through this program, young people participate in family reading adventures in the Colorado outdoors. In these adventures, young people engage in hiking, kayaking, archery, yoga, fly–fishing, and birding while receiving new books for summer reading. Janet founded the organization in 2015.

In addition to all this, Janet writes a blog for multicultural mothers which she hopes helps promote cross-cultural experiences and support friendships and community among women in diverse communities. She calls this blog MixMomma. Read more about this at Voyage Denver.

Janet’s selection as her state’s Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition she has earned. She received the CorePower Yoga Teacher Scholarship and the Extraordinary Teacher Award from Suntec Concrete in 2024; the African Americans Who Are Making a Difference Award in 2023; the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2022 and the inaugural Making Our Futures Brighter Award in 2022; and the Library Journal Mover and Shaker Award 2020. She has also earned the Facing History fellowship and Fund for Teachers fellowship.

Janet earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Metropolitan State University in 2000. She earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Denver in 2005. She also completed the requirements for her Educational Specialist’s degree in Leadership for Educational Organizations from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2010.