Category Archives: Education

Washington’s Harlan Kredit teaches wildlife conservation

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High school biology teacher Harlan Kredit of Lynden, Washington, teaches fish and wildlife conservation. Photo credit: Everipedia

Often remarkable educators extend their talents well beyond the classroom. This is the case with Harlan Kredit, an award-winning biology teacher from the state of Washington.

Harlan was born and raised near Fishtrap Creek in Lynden, Washington. Following his high school graduation, he attended Calvin College, a private liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he graduated in 1961. Later, Harlan earned his Master’s degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

After earning his degrees, Harlan taught science in Hudsonville, Michigan, from 1962 to 1972. In 1973, he returned to Whatcom County in Washington and accepted a position as a biology teacher at Lynden Christian High School in Bellingham. In the classroom, Harlan fostered an investigative approach to curriculum, and emphasized leadership and fish and wildlife conservation. “My goal each year is to challenge every class with a special project, which, due to their effort, becomes something they own—that is the ‘hook’ I use to engage them. It also becomes a means of giving something back to the community, both now and in the future,” Harlan once expounded. “Using the outdoors as a major part of my teaching focus blends with the interests of the students, is real science, and the excitement of the students has validated that approach.” Harlan organized his students in a salmon restoration project, a tree planting project, and a litter disposal campaign in his home town.

In addition to teaching, Harlan spends his summers as a ranger naturalist and wildfire fighter at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, and he has also served the National Park Service as a photographer. Furthermore, Harlan educated fellow teachers at the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, Wyoming.

Harlan has been recognized with over 25 awards and honors for his work as an educator and as a  in conservation ecologist, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the National Conservation Teacher of the Year in 2004. In 2005, he received a Walt Disney Company Teacher Award. Additionally, Harlan has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Now 83 years old, Harlan continues to teach.

Texas teacher Kristin “Kristy” Butler earns PAEMST award

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Texas middle school teacher Kristin “Kristy” Butler has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2020 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Photo Credit: Kristy Butler

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned  recognition for their work in the classroom. Kristin Butler, an elementary school teacher from Trophy Club, Texas, has earned such recognition. In 2020, she garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Kristen, who prefers to be called “Kristy,” has been an educator for the past 18 years. She has spent the last three years teaching sixth grade mathematics at Medlin Middle School. Prior to that, she taught mathematics at Travis Middle School for ten years. There she served two years as a mathematics instructional coach and interventionist. The first three years of Kristy’s teaching career were spent at Tannahill Intermediate School.

Kristy is best-known for building relationships with students and creating innovative, technology-driven lessons. She has a growth mindset, and is continuously looking for ways to engage and relate to her students. Her role as a Pear Deck Regional Coach has strengthened her passion for using technology in her classroom.

Kristy’s campus involvement goes beyond the classroom. She serves on her school’s committees for Campus Improvement, Character Council, and Teacher Appreciation. She has spent many years writing curriculum and serving as Mathematics Department Chair. She presents professional development workshops at her school and at district conferences, and she also  serves as her district’s New Teacher Mentor Coordinator. Kristy has served as a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In addition, she has also completed the Teaching Trust Ed Fellows Leadership Program.

Kristy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from Texas Christian University, and her Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is also certified to teach English as a second language.

CA Social Studies teacher Lois Volk also a successful politician

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Former Social Studies teacher Lois Wolk also served in the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. Photo credit: State of California.

Many excellent educators also enjoy careers as successful politicians. This is the case with Lois Wolk, a secondary school Social Studies teacher who has also served in both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.

Lois was born on May 12, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Antioch College in 1968 and her Master’s degree from the School of International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 1971.

Once she earned her degrees, Lois inaugurated her teaching career. She has taught history, Social Studies, and French in both public and private schools. She taught first at the Edmund Burke School, and, from 1979 to 198,1 she taught in the Davis Joint Unified School District.

Lois launched her career in politics when she was elected a member of the Davis City Council. Her tenure there spanned the years 1990 to 1998. Twice she was elected Mayor of Davis: 1992 to 1994 and 1996 to 1998. Next, she served as a member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. In 2002, Lois was elected on the Democratic ticket to the California State Assembly. She served there representing the 8th Assembly District from 2002 to 2008. While there, she was a member of the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications. Next, she was elected to the California State Senate, where she represented the 5th Senate District from 2008 to 2012 and then the 3rd Senate District from 2008 to 2016. While there she served on the Committee for Aging and Long-Term Care; Budget and Fiscal Review; and Agriculture. Also, as a Jewish woman, she was a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.

In addition to her work as a legislator, Lois belongs to a number of important organizations, including the California County Boards of Education (2013); the Child Abuse Prevention Council (2013); the Rotary Club; and Soroptimist International.

Lois has also earned a number of prestigious awards, including the John Muir Heritage Award (2015); the Legislator of the Year Award from the California County Boards of Education (2013); the Legislator of the Year Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Council (2013); and the Robin Jenkins Memorial Award from Solano Partnership Against Violence (2011).

At age 75, Lois continues to live in Davis, California, with her husband, Bruce Wolk. The couple has two sons.

Music teacher Sarah Mae Lagasca garners coveted Milken Award

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High school music educator Sarah Mae Lagasca of Newark, New Jersey, has garnered a prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: milkeneducatoraward.org

It is always a pleasure to share stories about talented educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Sarah Mae Lagasca, a high school music teacher from New Jersey, who has garnered a prestigious 2021-2022 Milken Educator Award.

As a music teacher at Arts High School in Newark, Sarah Mae strives to increase her students’ proficiency in music theory, composition, sight reading, vocal technique, music history, recording and production technology, marketing and branding, and personal artistic growth.

Sarah Mae has long been recognized as an innovative instructor. Throughout the pandemic, the honored educator culled and shared a variety of strategies to keep students engaged in her virtual classroom, including breakout rooms, hand signals, recordings, and online programs such as Music First, FlipGrid, and Soundtrap.

As if all that were not enough, Sarah Mae has made significant contributions to music outside of the classroom as well. She has conducted Newark’s All-City Choral Ensemble and organized workshops with professional musicians through the VH1: Save the Music Foundation and GRAMMY Museum. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and contributed to various recordings, including Arturo O’Farrill’s “Four Questions,” which won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Sarah Mae attended the Westminster Choir College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2013. Westminster is a residential conservatory of music formerly located in Princeton, New Jersey. In the Fall of 2020, the college relocated to Rider University’s Lawrenceville campus.

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. Sarah Mae is one of up to 60 educators to receive the Milken Educator Award for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Math teacher M.B.W. Tent also writes books for young people

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Many fine educators have also earned a name for themselves as published authors. One of these is M.B.W. Tent, a math teacher who has published several books for young people.

M.B.W., whose first name is Margaret, was born on Nov. 2, 1944. She was raised in western Massachusetts. As a young girl, she graduated from Amherst Regional High School. Following high school, she earned both her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

For many years, M.B.W. taught school at Altamont High School in Birmingham, Alabama. She has said she has enjoys bringing the history of mathematics into her teaching.

M.B.W. has published a number of educational books about mathematicians for students of elementary school age. Her works include Emmy Noether: The Mother of Modern Algebra (2008); The Prince of Mathematics: Carl Friedrich Gauss (2009); Leonard Euler and the Bernoullis: Mathematicians from Basel (2009); Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: The Polymath who Brought us Calculus (2019). She also published A 1928 Road Trip from the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts to the National Parks of the West (2011).

As an author, many of M.B.W.’s books have earned favorable reviews from professional organizations such as the Mathematical Association of America and the Association for Computing Machinery. In addition, her books are frequently cited in academic publications, and they have garnered praise from such renowned mathematicians as Charles Ashbacher, William Dunham, Peter Neumann, Peter Lax, and Cathleen Synge Morawetz.