Category Archives: Education

Texas teacher Lalla M. Odom was one of the original founders of DKG

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Texas teacher Lalla M. Odom was one of the original founders of the professional organization known as the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society (DKG). Photo credit: DKG

Many talented classroom teachers are also devoted to assisting their colleagues in their efforts to become better educators. One of these was Lalla M. Odom, an elementary school  teacher from Texas. She worked to provide professional training and support to fellow women teachers through the organization Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG).

Lalla was born on April 8, 1874, the second oldest in a family of seven children. She was raised in Fayette County, Texas. As a child, Lalla was intelligent and ambitious. After her high school graduation, she attended first Waco Female College and then Baylor University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree when she was only 17 years old. Not content to end her studies there, Lalla enrolled in the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio. After she earned her diploma there, she accepted a position as a music and math teacher at Willie Halsell College in Vineta, Oklahoma. There she met and married Edgar Odom. The couple returned to Texas, where they settled in Austin in 1917.

In Austin, Lalla accepted a position at Metz Elementary School, where it was apparently unknown that she was married. At the end of the school year the School Board threatened to lay her off because of her marital status, but her cause was championed by an open-minded superintendent. After a few weeks, the Board reversed its decision. Lalla became the first married woman to earn a permanent contract in Austin.

When school officials decided to establish the first junior high school in their district, Allen Junior High, Lalla was selected to head the Math Department there. To hone her professional skills, she went back to college, earning both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree at the University of Texas. She took additional graduate courses in education, government, and English.

In 1929, Lalla was one of 12 educators who founded the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society (DKG). Because of a long-standing custom in those days,  women were prohibited from meeting together professionally. Nevertheless, the founders believed there was a pressing need for an organization in which women educators could assist each other in their efforts to become better teachers. The 12 co-founders extended membership in their newly-formed organization to rural and urban teachers; preschool, elementary, high school, college, and university teachers; librarians; and school administrators. DKG members still work together today to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships to those who need support to improve their professional skills.

In addition to her work in the classroom and with DKG, Lalla was actively  involved in city, state, and national political affairs. She also was active in professional organizations such as the Classroom Teachers Association, the Texas State Teachers Association, and the National Education Association.

This amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away on April 14, 1964. She was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.

To learn more about the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, click on this link: DKG.

Teacher, cookbook author, and television personality Shirley McClay

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Long-time elementary school teacher Shirley McClay was also a highly-acclaimed cookbook author, television personality, and public speaker. Photo Credit: The Daily Bulletin

There are many outstanding educators who have accomplished a host of impressive achievements even after they have left the classroom. One of these is Shirley McClay, an elementary school teacher from Southern California who became an acclaimed author, television personality, and public speaker.

Shirley was born on Sept. 1, 1932, in Los Angeles, California. In 1948, she moved with her family to nearby Lake Elsinore, where she enrolled at Lake Elsinore High School. After her high school graduation, Shirley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education with a Minor in Art from Southern California’s Pepperdine University. Once she earned her degree, Shirley went on to launch her career as a kindergarten teacher. She spent 25 years in the classroom.

Once she retired from teaching, Shirley and her friend Marilyn Meich co-authored several cookbooks. The pair published The Fast and Fabulous Four Ingredient Cookbook in 1984, the highly-acclaimed Original 4-Ingredient Cookbook in 1987, and The Trim & Thin 4 Ingredient Cookbook in 1988. By herself, Shirley published Caught Bear Handed? Recipes By Shirley Atwater-McClay in 1988 and Slick Chick Recipes By Shirley Atwater-McClay in 1989. To promote the cookbooks, Shirley appeared on local talk shows. In addition, she appeared at many engagements as a public speaker. And as if that weren’t enough, she owned and operated her own dance studio for a number of years.

During her lifetime, Shirley belonged to a number of organizations, including the American Association of University Women, PEO, the Lion’s Club, Newcomers, and several local book clubs. An avid world traveller, the retired teacher travelled extensively with her husband, Marvin McClay. She often declared her favorite destination was the continent of Africa.

Sadly, Shirley MclCay passed away on June 24, 2024, in Murrieta, California. She was 91 years old.

Science teacher John M. Lewellen served in the Arkansas State Legislature

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Arkansas teacher John Lewellen served his community as a member of the Arkansas State Legislature. Photo Credit: KATV

Many fine educators also make a name for themselves in politics. One of these is John M. Lewellen, a science teacher who also served his community as a public servant and as a member of the Arkansas State Legislature.

John was born in Forest City, St. Francis County, Arkansas, on Sept. 16, 1930. As a youngster, he attended Dansby Elementary School and Lincoln High School in his home town. After his high school graduation, John served a four-year stint in the US Air Force, and is recognized as a Korean War Veteran.

Once he earned his honorable discharge, John enrolled at AM&N, the Agricultural Mining and Normal College located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was the first member of his family to go to college. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture in 1958. Once he earned his degree, John moved to the Altheimer and Hermitage areas, where he accepted a position as a high school teacher. Later he served the school as its principal. “I think his proudest moment was he took five of the outstanding seniors to our alma mater, AM&N, and introduced them to the president and helped them get scholarships,” remembered John’s wife, Wilhelmina Lewellen.

Later, John relocated with his wife and children to Little Rock, Arkansas. There he worked within the state government. He served in positions as a probation officer, a state rehabilitation counselor, and a contractor officer for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. His career there spanned 30 years.

In his later life, John decided to pursue a career in public service. He was elected to the Little Rock City Board in 1991, the Pulaski County Quorum Court in 1996, and the Pulaski County Justice of the Peace for District 6. In 1999, John was elected to the Arkansas State House of Representatives, where he served until 2004. He represented the 34th District on the Democratic ticket. During the six years he served in the State House, John co-founded the Democratic Black Caucus, chaired the Children and Youth subcommittee, and worked for growth of businesses owned by minorities and women.

This former educator passed away from a lengthy illness in Little Rock Nov. 25, 2017. He was 87 years old. His remains were interred at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander, Arkansas.

Wisconsin educator Shelly Krajacic inducted into the 2024 National Teachers Hall of Fame

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English teacher Shelly Moore Krajacic of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been inducted into the 2024 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Photo Credit: Wisconsin Education Association Council

I am always excited when the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) announces the names of exceptional educators who have been inducted into their hallowed halls. This year, the organization has selected Shelly Moore Krajacic, an educator at South Milwaukee High School, as one of the five teachers nationwide who has been so honored.

Shelley earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Education from University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, in 199y7. She earned her Masters degree in English/Language Arts from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, in 2006. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Urban Education from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in 2024. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2017.

 

Shelly began her career in the classroom in 1998 at Ellsworth Community High School, where she taught English and Theatre until 2018. She then taught English Education courses at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee before transferring to South Milwaukee High School in 2021. There she teaches in the English Department and serves the school as their Student Leadership Advisor. In all, her career as an educator spans 23 years.

“It is my obligation to see my students in ways they have never seen themselves,” Shelly asserts. “I need to see possibilities in them that they never knew existed and to help them believe in themselves enough to discover pathways to those possibilities,” she continues. This is a mission she does not take lightly. “Teaching is the single greatest profession there is,” Shelly declares.

The NTHF honors teachers through an annual recognition program, inducting five outstanding educators nationally every year. The organization, located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, was founded in 1989. The recognition program annually honors five of the nation’s most outstanding PreK-12 educators who have at least 20 years of teaching experience. To visit their website, click on NTHF.

 

Pennsylvania coach Sue Butz-Stavin inducted into the 2023 National High School Hall of Fame

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Field hockey coach Sue Butz-Stavin of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, was inducted into the 2023 National High School Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Lehigh Valley News

I always enjoy sharing the story of an outstanding high school athletic coach. One of these is Sue Butz-Stavin, an exceptional field hockey coach from Emmaus, Pennsylvania. In 2023, she was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Sue holds the record for most wins for a field hockey coach in the history of the sport in Pennsylvania. Nationally, she is at the top of the list by nearly 200 victories. In her 47-year career at Emmaus High School, Sue has compiled an impressive record of 1041-83-35. That record includes a 69-game winning streak in 2023. According to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book, her nearest competitor has 839 victories.

Sue’s field hockey teams have made 37 appearances in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) State Championship. There they have won 14 titles, in addition to two runner-up finishes and nine final four appearances. Her teams have won a total of 40 district titles, including 34 in a row.

As the daughter of a physical education teacher, Sue remembers that as a child she was always taken along to sporting events. She joined the first field hockey program at her alma mater during her junior year in 1969, and she began coaching while teaching abroad in Australia. She was hired to coach at Emmaus  in 1976, 16 years after the founding of the school’s field hockey program.

For her work as a high school athletic coach, Sue has been inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She has garnered with numerous state and national Coach of the Year titles. In 2021, she was named the PIAA Field Hockey Coach of the Year. Her teams at Emmaus have been ranked No. 1 in the nation on four different occasions. Over the years, many of her players have played field hockey at the NCAA Division I level. And her athletic program has even been featured on TV’s The Today Show and ESPN.

The National High School Hall of Fame was founded in 1982 by the National Federation of State High School Associations in an effort to honor high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, and others. The Hall of Fame was organized as a means of recognizing, preserving, and promoting the heritage of interscholastic sports in the United States.

To read more about Sue Butz-Stvin, click on this link to Lehigh Valley News.