Category Archives: Education

Ohio teacher Eddie McCarthy donates a kidney to student

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High school sophomore Roman McCormick with his Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy. McCarthy teaches at Whitener High School in Toledo, Ohio. Photo credit: Washington Post

Every once in a while a story emerges about an admirable teacher who has made a heroic sacrifice for a student. Eddie McCarthy, a high school geometry teacher from Toledo, Ohio, is one of those incredibly noble teachers. After hearing about the severe medical condition of his student, Roman McCormick, the teacher volunteered to donate one of his own kidneys to the young man.

Roman, a sophomore at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease, the last stage before kidney failure. Unfortunately, no one in the fifteen-year-old’s family was deemed a viable candidate as a live donor for a kidney transplant. It appeared that Roman would be forced to go on dialysis in order to prolong his life until a suitable kidney from a deceased donor could be located, a wait that could stretch from three to five years. And there was no certainty that Roman would survive that long.

Roman’s Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy, was stunned to learn about his student’s dilemma. “He always turned his work in on time, and he was definitely one of my best students,” the educator explained. “But I didn’t realize he’d been going through something this serious.” That’s when Eddie stepped up to the plate and volunteered to donate one his own healthy kidneys.

The surgery was performed on July 19, 2023, at the University of Michigan University Hospital in Ann Arbor, near Detroit. Doctors have deemed the procedure a rousing success.

Eddie knows that Roman won’t be in any of his classes in the upcoming school year. But the teacher says he is looking forward to giving him a high-five in the hallway. “It will be pretty crazy when I watch him walk by,” says Eddie. “I’ll be able to say, ‘There goes my kidney.'”

As 2023 Michigan State Teacher of the Year, Candice Jackson will focus on students’ mental health

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Candice Jackson, a third grade teacher in Detroit, Michigan, has been named the 2023 Michigan State Teacher of the Year. In this role, she plans to focus on students’ mental health issues. Photo credit: Riley Hodder, Bridge Michigan

Congratulations to elementary school teacher Candice Jackson of Detroit, Michigan, who was named her state’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year last month.

Candice teaches at the Mann Learning Community in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. In a career that has spanned 21 years, she has taught at the facility for the past six years. In addition to her work with students, Candice has spent five years mentoring other Detroit teachers in a professional development program called Master Teachers.

Candice says her decision to go into the teaching profession was an easy one. “I grew up in Macomb County, and I had very few teachers that looked like me,” she reveals. “My third grade teacher Mrs. Harrington was African American, and she was the epitome of grace, poise, and sophistication,” she says. “Unfortunately, that was one of the few encounters I had with a teacher that looked like me. That made me want to be what I did not have,” she explains. According to statistics compiled by the Michigan Department of Education in 2018, about 9% of teachers in Michigan were Black, while about 33% of students in the state are Black.

As her state’s Teacher of the Year, Candice will hold a non-voting seat at the State Board of Education meetings every month. She will also serve as a member of the governor’s Educator Advisory Council. In her new role, the honored educator hopes to increase focus on students’ mental health. “Kids are dealing with a lot,” Candice observes. “I think mental health is one of those things we ignore. And what ends up happening is things spiral out of control. If we pay attention to those risk factors, we can intervene early, and provide the necessary treatment,” she continues.And Candice believes that an increased focus on mental health will also help improve school safety.

Candice earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2001 and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2004, both from Michigan State University.

Each year, the Michigan Department of Education recognizes the state’s top teacher. The honor is selected for their dedication to the teaching profession, commitment to students, and professional accomplishments. The selection process begins with nominations from students, staff, and community members.

Educators participate in cultural exchange through Fulbright scholarships

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The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, which offers cultural-exchange programs for educators, is one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world. Photo credit: Fulbright Scholar Program

One of the most important missions of an educator today is to develop global citizens. What better way to do this than through a teacher-exchange program such as the prestigious Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board?

The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board is a US cultural-exchange program sponsored by the US Government’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program was founded by US Senior William Fulbright in 1946 and is considered one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world. Since its founding, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to the complex challenges facing our communities and our world. These participants were chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. More than 400 US educators teach overseas through the Fulbright Program annually.

Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, Fulbright teachers share stories about their experiences and often become active supporters of continued international exchange, inviting foreign students to their campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

Fulbright alumni careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of highly-regarded scholars, many of whom have become leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government.

To learn more about the program, click on this link to the organization’s webpage: Fulbright Scholars.

 

PE teacher and football coach Brick Mitchell was a fine athlete

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High school PE teacher and football coach Brick Mitchell was, himself, an exceptional football player. Photo credit: Public Domain

Many fine educators also enjoy success in professions other than teaching. One of these is Brick Mitchell, a high school physical education teacher who also earned fame as a football player and college football coach.

Brick was born Clarence Leon Mitchell, but was always known by his nickname, “Brick.” His birth year is believed to be 1894. As a young man, Brick played college football at the University of Oregon from 1915 to 1918, when World War I was in full swing. In 1916, he was selected to the All-Pacific Coast football team. He played the position of end. During his college years, Brick played three games in the Rose Bowl.

In the 1920s, Brick coached football at San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California. The school is located 20 miles south of San Francisco. In 1926 Coach Mitchell led his team to its first state championship. Next, Brick worked as a line coach at the University of California, Berkeley. From there he was hired as the Head Football Coach at the University of Nevada, Reno. He coached there from 1932 to 1935. During those years, he led his team, the Wolf Pack, to a record of 10 wins, 20 losses, and 3 ties.

In 1958, Brick returned to the high school. There he taught physical education, mechanical drawing, and math at Oroville High School in Oroville, California. Oroville is a public high school located in the rural northern valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

Sadly, Brick Mitchell passed away on Oct. 21, 1963, at the University of California Hospital in San Francisco. He was 69 years old.