Category Archives: Education

Justin Johnson named Illinois’ 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Music educator Justin Johnson from Skokie, Illinois, has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Niles Township High School.

It is always exciting when talented educators are recognized for their work in the classroom. One of these is Justin Johnson, a music teacher from Skokie, Illinois, who has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Currently, Justin serves as the Director of Bands at Niles West High School in Skokie. There he has a reputation for being a kind, caring role model who always has the students’ best interests in mind, says Dr. Karen Ritter, Principal of Niles West. “Mr. Johnson is everything the Teacher of the Year Award represents,” she asserted. “He is an intense instructor who is so in tune with his students and their needs and brings them all together in an ensemble setting,” she continued. “When I visited Mr. Johnson’s classroom last year, I felt that I could spend the whole day there. I would have loved to have had a teacher like Justin Johnson,” she concluded.

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Justin has served on several nationally recognized ensembles, including the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, a position he held for over a decade and the US Army All-American Marching Band. He has adjudicated and coordinated clinics for concert ensembles, marching bands, indoor drumlines, winter guards, and jazz ensembles throughout the country. He is also an active member of the Illinois Music Education Association and the National Association for Music Education.

For his work in the classroom, Justin has earned many accolades. In addition to the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year, he was named a finalist for the Golden Apple Award in 2016 and a Teacher of Distinction the same year. In 2020,  he garnered Niles West High School’s Zemsky Teacher of the Year Award.

Justin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

 

Congresswoman and former teacher Marge Roukema

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Former Social Studies teacher Marge Roukema represented New Jersey for 22 years in the United States House of Representatives. Photo credit: Public Domain.

Many fine educators go on to successful careers in politics. One of these is Marge Roukema, a high school Social Studies teacher who served in the US House of Representatives for 22 years.

Marge was born Margaret Scafati on Sept. 19, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey. As a teenager, she graduated from West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1951, Marge earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Montclair State College in Montclair, New Jersey. She also completed graduate courses at Rutgers University in Newark.

Once she earned her degree, Marge taught Social Studies in Ridgewood Public Schools. She also served as a member of her local Board of Education from 1970 to 1973.

In 1980, Marge was elected on the Republican ticket to serve in the US House of Representatives. She represented first the 7th district (1981-1983), and then the 5th District (1983-2003). In total, her tenure as a Congresswoman covered 22 years. While in Congress, the former teacher devoted herself to helping the underprivileged gain access to affordable housing, and she also worked for welfare reform, education reform, job training, and the enforcement of child support. In addition, she was a strong champion of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Her support for this legislation was due, in part, by her experiences with her 17-year-old son, Todd, and his battle with leukemia. Sadly, Todd succumbed to the disease in October, 1976.

Marge passed away from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease on November 12, 2014, in Wyckoff, New Jersey. She was 85 years old.

Minta Foreman: She taught in Indian schools for 50 years

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Minta Foreman, a Native American from the Cherokee Tribe, spent five decades teaching students in government Indian schools. Photo credit: Choctaw Journeys.

Many dedicated Native Americans have served their communities as talented and hardworking educators. One who is an example of this is Minta Foreman, a Native American from the Cherokee Tribe who spent five decades in government Indian schools teaching students from the Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes.

Minta was born on April 14, 1878, in Park Hill, near the town of Tahlequah in Oklahoma Indian Territory. Her given name was Araminta Ross Foreman. Her father was Stephen Foreman, a Presbyterian minister. During her childhood, Minta studied at the mission school in Muskogee. Later she attended Willie Halsell College in Vinita, Oklahoma, and the Presbyterian College in Independence, Missouri.

Once she completed her education, Minta taught sixth grade at Cherokee Female Seminary in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Her career there spanned from 1898 to 1909, during which time she also taught high school students and served as the school’s principal. Next, Minta taught seventh and eighth grade at the Cheyenne school in Colorado Springs, and later she taught Choctaw students for six years at Wheelock Academy in Oklahoma. She also completed stints at the Bloomfield Academy, a school for Chickasaw girls, and the Mehusky Indian School. In all, Minta’s career as an educator in government Indian schools spanned 50 years.

Minta’s students said she left a lasting impression on them. They described their teacher as “tall, straight and haughty looking.” Nevertheless, she commanded great respect from her students, who frequently expressed she was an enthusiastic, but dignified, role model.

Sadly, after all these years of dedicated teaching, Minta succumbed to a heart attack on April 29, 1952, in Craig County, Oklahoma. She was 74 years old. She is buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Vinita, Craig County, Oklahoma.

Amanda Hargreaves named South Dakota’s 2021 Teacher of the Year

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South Dakota’s Amanda Hargreaves has been named as her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. She teaches at Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell, South Dakota. Photo credit: Dakota University.

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented educators that have been honored for their work in the classroom. One of these is Amanda Hargreaves, who has been named South Dakota’s 2021 State Teacher of the Year.

Amanda inaugurated her career as an educator in 2010 at Longfellow Elementary School. Although it was her first year of teaching, she established an anti-bullying program there. Currently, Amanda teaches science and Language Arts to sixth graders at Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell, South Dakota. She has taught there since 2011. In Amanda’s classroom, the emphasis is on establishing and nurturing relationships. Her “think outside the box” approach makes her classroom an innovative learning environment. The creative educator incorporates real-world situations and project-based learning in classroom lessons. An example of this is her “force and motion carnival.” For this carnival, students design and construct carnival games to demonstrate their understanding of Newton’s laws of motion.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Amanda serves on the Principal’s Cabinet Leadership Team and her school’s Spirit Committee. She also provides professional development opportunities for her colleagues frequently. And, like many teachers, Amanda offers her students after-school tutoring.

Despite the many challenges and frequent changes in teaching, Amanda is happy with her career choice. “Teaching is the most rewarding profession in the world. Even on my most challenging days, I can’t wait to go back the next day,” she declares.

Amanda earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Dakota State University and her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Dakota.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this article published about her by Dakota University.

California teacher Mark Takano serves in US House of Reps

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Former California English teacher and member of the US House of Representatives Mark Takano works to improve educational opportunities for learners of all ages. Photo credit: The Advocate.

Many fine classroom teachers go on to successful careers in politics. One of these educators in Mark Takano, a former teacher who now serves in the US House of Representatives.

Mark was born on December 10, 1960, in Riverside, California. He spent his entire childhood there. As a Japanese American, he grew up listening to stories told by his parents and grandparents about their internment in an American camp during WWII. As a young boy, Mark attended La Sierra High School. When he graduated in 1979, he was named the school’s valedictorian. After his high school graduation, Mark attended Harvard, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Government in 1983. He earned a second Master’s in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Creative Writing for the Performing Arts, from the University of California, Riverside, in 2010.

Once he earned his degree, Mark worked as a substitute teacher for various public school systems in the Boston area. Later he returned to Riverside, and, in 1988, he inaugurated his teaching career in the Rialto Unified School District. He taught British Literature at Rialto High School. Only two years later, he was elected to the Board of Trustees for the Riverside Community College District. There he worked diligently to increase job training opportunities for adult learners. In 1991, Mark was elected Board President. In all, Mark taught for 23 years in public schools.

In 2012, Mark was elected elected on the Democratic ticket to represent the 41st District in the US House of Representatives. His District includes Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, and Perris. As a Congressman, he serves on a variety of committees, including the Education and Labor Committee; the Science, Space and Technology Committee; and as the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To learn more about Mark Takano, see his Congressional website.