Category Archives: Education

PA educator Dorothy Sumners Rush inducted into Germantown Historical Society’s Hall of Fame

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Dorothy Sumners Rush, seen here at right, with her daughter Jocelyn Rush and her son, Bruce Rush., in 2015. Photo credit: The Philadelphia Tribune.

There are many fine educators who have earned honor for their work in the field of education. One of these is Dorothy Sumners Rush of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was inducted into the Germantown Historical Society’s Hall of Fame.

Dorothy was born on November 2, 1932 in Trenton, New Jersey. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Science from New Jersey State Teachers College in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1953. She earned her Master’s degree in Administration from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1970.

Once she earned her degrees, Dorothy inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a junior high school teacher of mathematics and science in Trenton, New Jersey in 1953.

In 1957, Dorothy relocated to Pennsylvania, where she worked at Emlen Elementary School in Germantown, for 15 years. She then spent 19 years as Vice Principal of Ada Lewis Middle School. As an administrator at Ada Lewis, she taught algebra in a before-school program, nurtured partnerships with businesses that resulted in tutoring for students, and helped students start their own company: Ada Lewis Enterprises, which marketed products such as student-made pillows, cutting boards, and cookies, an enterprise that gave students real-life lessons. She retired in 1991 and then was appointed to serve on the School Board two years later, eventually becoming the Board’s Vice President.

In addition to her induction into the Germantown Historical Society’s Hall of Fame, Dorothy received recognition for her service from the National Adoption Center in Philadelphia in 1985, She also earned honors for her community service from the Philadelphia City Council in Philadelphia in 1994. She was also the first ever recipient of the Polemarch’s Legacy Award from the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Philadelphia Alumni Chapter, in 2015. The same year, Dorothy was named a Women of Moxie by the City of Philadelphia.

The Germantown Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania celebrates the achievements of individuals who have made significant contributions to the cultural history and the community of Germantown. The  honorees embody the skills and talents to the civic, educational, and artistic fabric of the community. Created in 1994 by the Germantown Historical Society operated until 2007. After a hiatus, Historic Germantown reinstated the program in 2018.

Kamehameha schools preserve Native Hawaiian culture

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Kamehameha Schools, first established in 1887, serve the important function of preserving Native Hawaiian culture, history, and language.  Photo credit: Kamehameha Schools

While conducting research for my book Chalkboard Champions, I learned a great deal about numerous types of schools that I had never heard about in my thirty-odd years as an educator. Industrial schools, emancipation schools, farm schools, normal schools, specialist schools. Where were all these terms when I went through student teaching? One type of school I learned about that I found particularly intriguing is the Kamehameha School located in the beautiful state of Hawaii.

Kamehameha Schools were first established in 1887 at the bequest of Bernice Bishop, also known as Princess Pauahi, a member of the Hawaiian royal family when the state was still a territory. Princess Pauahi and her beloved husband, an American named Charles Reed Bishop, had no children of their own, and so when she passed away in 1882 at the age of 52, she directed that her vast estate should be used to benefit and educate underprivileged Native Hawaiian children. Two schools were built: one for boys and one for girls. Eventually the two schools were merged to form a co-ed school, now located on a six-hundred-acre campus on the main island of Oahu overlooking Honolulu Harbor. Other branches of the school have been built on neighboring Hawaiian islands.
Kamehameha Schools serve the important function of preserving Native Hawaiian culture, history, and language. One of the ways this is done is through the annual choral competition known as the Kamehameha Song Contest, where traditional Hawaiian songs and dances as well as new compositions in the genre are performed by the students. This is a wonderful tradition that goes back 45 years.
When I think of Chalkboard Champions, my first thought is of teachers, of course, but individuals such as Princess Pauahi who support schools financially and with their volunteer hours are also heroes to our students!

Read more about Kamehameha Schools in my book Chalkboard Champions, available on amazon.

Turn-of-the-century farm schools taught vocational skills

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Boys work the farm at the Lyman School for Boys in Massachusetts. In 1890, 190 boys lived at the school. Photo credit: Westborough Public Library

When we think of schools today, I think most of envision the standard classroom with one teacher and 30 or so students, a chalkboard or white board, students desks, a bulletin board, playground, and so on. But while I was conducting research for my first book Chalkboard Champions, I learned a great deal about various types of schools that I had never heard about in my 36 years as a teacher. Industrial schools, emancipation schools, farm schools, normal schools, specialist schools—just to name a few. In our nation’s past there were many types of schools that didn’t look like the picture of a standard classroom. One type of school I learned about that I found particularly intriguing is the farm school.

A farm school was a boarding school which primarily served teen-aged boys. These schools were most often established by missions or charitable organizations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The purpose of the farm school was to care for orphans and homeless youth, while simultaneously giving these youngsters the opportunity to learn a marketable skill which would enable them to find employment on farms in the Midwest or the South.

The farm school provided housing, food, and medical care. In addition to room and board, the school offered training in agricultural skills, and in fundamental literacy skills in such subjects as reading, writing, and mathematics.

Today, a farm school offers outdoors programs that teach learners to appreciate the importance of farm-to-table practices, healthier eating habits, preparation of our natural environment, and becoming active agents of change in their communities.

“Suffrage schools” helped to win the right to vote for women

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Educator and suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt established suffrage schools that helped women in the United States earn the right to vote.  Photo credit: Public Domain

When I read about remarkable teachers, I often come across terms that describe varieties of schools I have never heard of before. One such example is the term “suffrage schools.”

These schools were first developed in 1917 by suffragette Carrie Chapman Catt, a trained and experienced teacher. Her purpose in establishing these schools was to train women volunteers to become politically active and effective in their efforts to win the vote for women.

For the suffrage schools, Carrie developed innovative courses that focused on theories of government, political institutions, and practical applications. She also encouraged women to study state laws, identifying those that were specifically unfair to women, and working to change them. The curriculum also included such topics as public speaking, the organization of the US government, the history of the suffrage movement, how to develop a good relationship with the press, and how to use the press for influencing the electorate. Eventually the lessons taught in these schools paid off, for women won the right to vote with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919.

You can read more about Carrie Chapman Catt and her suffrage schools in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes, available on amazon.

NSF suspends program that delivers PAEMST honors

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The US National Science Foundation has announced that, as of July 18, 2025, there will be a suspension in the program that delivers Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) to our nation’s most excellent educators of mathematics, science, and technology courses. Below is the full text of announcement posted on the official website for the PAEMST:

 

“On July 18, 2025, NSF announced that it will pause the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) programs until further notice. NSF administers these programs on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Her is the full text of the announcement:

Any nominations submitted during the previously scheduled Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 submission window will not be considered, and there will not be any nominations and applications accepted for FY 2026.

The pause allows NSF to conduct a comprehensive review of the programs. NSF remains committed to supporting the nation’s STEM teachers and mentors and looks forward to providing future updates.”

Since 1983, up to 110 outstanding educators from across the country have been recognized by the White House for their passion, dedication, and impact in the classroom each year. The awards have been administered by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honors recognize the importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The honor comes with a meeting with the President and a $10,000 cash prize.