Category Archives: Education

Arizona’s Ruth Woolf Jordan: Rural teacher and businesswoman

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Ruth Woolf Jordan

Arizona’s Ruth Woolf Jordan was a rural schoolteacher and a successful businesswoman.

There are many examples of  school teachers who became pioneers in the American Southwest. One of these was Ruth Woolf Jordan, a young teacher who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Beaver Creek, Arizona.

Ruth Woolf was born in Crittendon County, Kentucky, on November 7, 1902. When she was ten years old, her family settled in Tempe, Arizona. As a young woman, Ruth attended Tempe Normal School, now known as Arizona State University, where she graduated in 1922.

Following her graduation, Ruth accepted a teaching position in a one-room schoolhouse in the Beaver Creek School, about 25 miles south of Sedona. As a rural school teacher, Ruth was responsible for firing up the wood stove on cold days, cutting her students’ hair, checking in on them when they were absent, ridding trails of rattlesnakes, and playing field games such as softball. To get back and forth to school every day, the young teacher rode her horse.

While teaching at Beaver Creek, Ruth was introduced to a young rancher named Walter Jordan. The pair fell in love, and were married in 1930. After their marriage, the couple settled into a one-room cabin on his land in nearby Sedona. Because local policy did not allow married women to teach school, Ruth gave up teaching and became a farmer’s wife. Eventually Ruth and Walter had three children.

During the 1930s and early 1940s, the Jordans expanded their farm to a total of 65 acres. There they planted an orchard of nearly 1,500 apple and peach trees. At the height of their orchard business, during the 1950s and 1960s, the couple was the largest private employers in Sedona. Ruth worked on the farm and marketed the produce in Phoenix, and in later years she returned to teaching school in Sedona and Red Rock when teachers were desperately needed.

By the 1970s, Ruth and Walter were ready for retirement. They sold their last commercial crop in 1973. After Walter’s passing in 1987, Ruth negotiated with the City of Sedona and the Sedona Historical Society (SHS) to reach an agreement to donate a portion of her remaining property to the city, and to sell the remaining four acres and her home to the city. The agreement granted her a life estate and SHS access to operate a museum in the Jordan farm buildings. After Ruth passed away on January 7, 1996, the city developed the land into a public park, and in 1998 the SHS opened the Sedona Heritage Museum. The museum offers exhibits on local history, cowboys, movie-making, orcharding, and local pioneers, including early women settlers, and their contributions to the community of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The historic Jordan buildings were the first in Sedona to be named to the National Register of Historic Places.

You can learn more about the Jordan Historic Park at the website for the Sedona Historical Society at Sedona Museum. Read more about chalkboard pioneer Ruth Woolf Jordan at the Arizona Memory Project.

Former foster child Anthony Swann named 2021 VA Teacher of the Year

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Former foster child Anthony Swann has been named the 2021 Virginia State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: wsls.com.

I always enjoy sharing stories about dedicated educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Anthony Swann, who has been named the 2021 Virginia State Teacher of the Year.

Anthony overcame many obstacles on his journey to becoming a teacher. As a youngster, he lived the life of a foster child, remaining part of the system until he was 21 years old. He was 11 years old when he decided to become a teacher.

Despite his obstacles, in 2007 Anthony earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Averett University, a private university located in Danville, Virginia. In 2014, he earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Regent University, a private university located in Virginia Beach.

Currently, Anthony teaches fifth grade mathematics and reading at Rocky Mount Elementary School. He says his philosophy of teaching is to be emotionally open with his students. “I get on their level. I have never raised my voice at my children,” he said. “I don’t just care for them in the classroom, I care for them outside as well,” he continued. “They find my room a safe haven and they have an open line of communication with me,” he concluded.

In addition to his work in the classroom, Anthony mentors students and serves as a life-skills coach for fifth-grade boys through a program he inaugurated in 2019 called Guys with Ties. Every other week, the students dress to impress and participate in activities to learn the importance of integrity, honesty, and respect. Anthony also helped develop Rocky Mount Elementary’s Cooperative Culture Initiative, a program that rewards students for their positive behavior. The program has not only improved overall school culture, but it has reduced disciplinary referrals.

To read more about Chalkboard Champion Anthony Swann, see this article published in Virginia Black Lifestyle Magazine.

Rose Sommerfield: Teacher and community activist

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Many dedicated educators work diligently on humanitarian projects to improve conditions for others in their community. One who did this was Rose Sommerfield, a teacher from Baltimore, Maryland, who was an activist and social worker for the Jewish community in her city.

Rose was born into a middle-class German Jewish family in Baltimore in 1874. From 1889 to 1899 she taught in public schools in Baltimore. During those years, Rose became interested in the First Grade Teachers’ Association, and greatly influenced the organization’s policies. In addition, she established the first Mothers’ Meetings held in a Baltimore public school.

Rose was instrumental in the organization of her city’s Daughters of Israel and the Baltimore Section of the Council of Jewish Women. In fact, she was the first secretary of both organizations. She was also involved in a day nursery, the First Jewish Working Girls Club, and the Maccabeans, an association of men who did volunteer work with Jewish boys. In addition, Rose authored many published articles on educational and philanthropic subjects.

In 1899, Rose relocated to New York, where she organized the  vocational course for the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls. She was instrumental in the development of the Home, where she served as Resident Director from 1899 to 1926. In addition to this work, Rose also organized the Clara de Hirsch Home for Immigrant Girls, the Welcome House Settlement house, and the Model Employment Bureau. And, as if all this were not enough, she helped to reorganize the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society and the Virginia, a non-sectarian hotel for working girls.

The indefatigable teacher and activist passed away on August 5, 1952. She was 78 years old. To read more about her, see this article published by Women of America.

Kentucky teacher and politician Tina Bojanowski

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Elementary school teacher Tina Bojanowski also serves in the Kentucky State House of Representatives. Photo credit: tinaforkentucky.com

Many fine educators also achieve success in careers in politics. One of these is Tina Bojanowski, an elementary school teacher who also serves her community in the Kentucky State House of Representatives.

Tina was born August 29, 1964, and she was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. After she graduated from Louisville Central High School in 1982, Tina earned first her Bachelor’s degree in 1986, and then her Master’s in Business Administration in 1991, both from the University of Louisville. In 2010, she earned a second Master’s degree, a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Education, and in 2017, she graduated with her Ph.D. Both the MAT and the Ph.D. were from Bellarmine University. Even as a student, Tina’s talent as an educator was evident. In 2009, she garnered the Bellarmine Outstanding Prospective Educator Award.

As an educator, Tina teaches Special Education at Watterson Elementary School in Louisville. The school is part of the Jefferson County Public School District. She has taught there for the past 11 years. Previously, she served as the Manager and Head Coach of the Kentucky Gymnastics Academy, a position she held for 29 years.

In 2018, Tina was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. There she represents District 32. Her term will continue to 2022. Among the committees she is a member of are the Committee on Education; Transportation; and Health, Welfare, and Family Services. As a legislator, Tina steadfastly supports education. High quality public education for all is a critical component of our society,” she declares. “It is time to shift the focus in education away from testing and toward deeper learning for all students,” she continues.

This hardworking educator also belongs to several community organizations. For example, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Jefferson County Teachers Association and a member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

To learn more about Tina, see this article written about her published by Emerge Kentucky.

 

Florida’s Linda Gancitano: PE teacher and soccer player

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Florida physical education teacher Linda Gancitano is also a former US Women’s Soccer team player. Photo credit: Sports Industry Conference.

There are many fine educators who have also made a name for themselves as excellent athletes. One of these is Linda Gancitano, a former US Soccer Team player who now teaches in Florida.

Linda was born on Jan. 24, 1962, in Coral Springs, Florida. As a youngster, she discovered her talent for soccer, and did so well she was placed on the boys’ soccer team. In fact, she was the first girl to play on a high school boys’ soccer team in Florida.

Once she graduated from high school, Linda enrolled at the University of Central Florida, where she played college soccer from 1981 to 1985. In fact, in 1982, the talented athlete was selected to play in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. In that tournament, she garnered the honor of Defensive MVP. She won other honors in college, too. She was chosen as one of the team’s most valuable players in 1981, and she earned the Coaches’ Award in 1984. And, as if all that were not enough, Linda was selected to be a member of the first-ever US Women’s National Soccer team in 1985. She played for three years, until a sports injury in 1986 forced her to leave the team.

Today, Linda teaches Physical Education at Driftwood Middle School (DMS) Academy of Health and Wellness in Florida. There she also coaches the volleyball team and advises the school’s peer counseling class.

In 2008, Linda established the Green Team at her school to encourage students to reduce their energy and water use. She created a school-based environmental challenge called “How Low Can You Go?” The challenge gets students involved by serving as energy auditors for classrooms. The school was named a Green Ribbon School by the US Department of Education in 2013. Over time, this program has been expanded districtwide through a partnership with the professional basketball team Miami Heat.

So far, Linda’s career as an educator has spanned 32 years. For her work in the classroom, Linda has received many accolades. She was named a White House Champion of Change for Climate Education and Literacy; a SHAPE Florida Teacher of the Year; and Florida Green School Teacher of the Year.

To read more about Linda Gancitano, see her profile in Linked In.