Category Archives: Education

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.

Innovative educator Mary Catherine Swanson: Founder of AVID

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Innovative educator Mary Catherine Swanson developed the AVID program to help minority students  develop the skills necessary to succeed in college. Today, the program is employed globally in at least 16 countries.  Photo Credit: www.avid.org

Back in 1980, Clairemont High School in San Diego, California, suddenly faced a court-ordered integration order. Teachers at the predominantly white, suburban, middle-class school knew that their incoming minority students would need extensive remediation. As Clairemont’s staff scrambled for ways to meet the needs of these students, one innovative staff member came up with a groundbreaking idea. That staff member was English teacher Mary Catherine Swanson.

Mary Catherine believed strongly that with appropriate academic tools and support, minority and other under-represented students could succeed in a rigorous academic atmosphere just as well as their Clairemont classmates. To meet their needs, she developed an innovative instructional program called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). The program trained students in strategies for note-taking and test-taking, offered peer mentoring and tutoring, and sponsored cultural field trips.

Mary Catherine’s efforts produced astonishing results. Since the program’s inception, over 400,000 students have participated in the training. The program is so successful that today over 7,000 high schools in 47 states and 16 countries around the world have implemented it. Statistics show that of those students enrolled in AVID, 95% go on to enroll in a four-year college, and 85% of them graduate. To learn more about the AVID program, go to www.avid.org.

The overwhelming success of Mary Catherine’s work has earned her many honors. Among them are an A+ Award for Reaching the Goals of America 2000 from the US Department of Education; the EXCEL Award for Excellence in Teaching; and the Salute to Excellence from the American Association for Higher Education. She has also been recognized with the UC San Diego Remarkable Leader in Education Award and the Distinguished Achievement Award by the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association. She has also been recognized with honorary doctorates from UC San Diego and the University of LaVerne. Both CNN and Time Magazine named her America’s Best Teacher in 2001, and she was one of three 2001 recipients of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education. Furthermore, Mary Catherine’s contribution to American education has been recognized by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, who wrote, “I don’t know any single person in the country who has done more for our school children than AVID founder Mary Catherine Swanson.”

Mary Catherine Swanson retired in 2006, but she will always be known as a genuine Chalkboard Champion.

Teacher, coach, and former Olympic athlete Josanne Lucas

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Former Olympic athlete Josanne Lucas now teaches high school science and coaches track in Colorado. Photo Credit: quilt.com

Many fine athletes go on to become outstanding teachers and coaches. One of these is Josanne Lucas, a former Olympic athlete who now works as a science teacher and coach in Colorado.

Josanne was born on May 14, 1984, in the city of Carnbee on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. She was 18 years old when she came to the United States to attend Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. In addition to earning a degree in Biomedical Sciences there, she also trained as an athlete in track and field.

Josanne showed exceptional prowess in the hurdles, particularly the 400-meter hurdles. She earned a first place finish in the event in 2006 in the NACAC (North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association) Under-23 Championships held in the Dominican Republic. She garnered another first place finish in 2008 in the Central American and Caribbean Championships held in Columbia. Later in 2008, Josanne competed in the Beijing Olympics. The following year, she won a bronze medal in the World Championships for Athletics held in Berlin, Germany. She competed as an athlete until 2016, and as a professional athlete for nine of those years.

Once she retired from the sport, the former athlete turned her attention to teaching and coaching. Today, she teaches science courses at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colorado. She also coaches track and field, specializing in hurdles, at the school. She obviously enjoys her role as an educator. “I love the opportunity to make a positive impact on young minds both academically and athletically,” Josanne says. “I love to challenge my students to be the best that they can be in both, in and out of the classroom.”

In 2019, Josanne achieved one of her most fervent goals: To become an American citizen. She was naturalized on August 24 that year. “I feel blessed and honored to become a US Citizen,” declares Josanne. “I have lived here my entire adult life and already consider the United States my home,” she says. “I like its democratic system and that it provides many opportunities,” she concludes.