Category Archives: Education

Angel Santiago named New Jersey 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Angel Santiago.

Congratulations go to educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, who has been named his state’s 2021Teacher of the Year. Angel teaches Language Arts to fifth graders at Loring Flemming Elementary School.

Angel says he owes his successes in the classroom to his passion for fostering strong relationships with his students, their families, his colleagues, and the community in which he serves. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Angel is the facilitator of the group Young People of Character (YPOC). This group of fourth and fifth graders, who come from different socio-economic backgrounds, participate in various community service projects to promote teamwork, empathy, and personal growth. Some of the projects the group has been involved in include writing letters to veterans for Veterans Day, cleaning up the school grounds for Earth Day, and volunteering during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. “Community outreach is a great example of how a rural community like mine uses empathy, teamwork, and leadership to teach our students life lessons without using textbooks or assessments, but rather our hands and our hearts,” asserts Angel.

The honored educator has taught his entire professional career in Camden County. In 2012 he began teaching in the Lindenwold Public Schools, and in 2013 he moved to Gloucester Township Public Schools where he continues to teach.

Angel graduated from New Jersey’s Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Humanities. In addition, he is a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this article published online by the New Jersey Education Association.

How teachers help preserve our democracy

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Today we celebrate the birth of our country! In contemplating the importance of this day, I am reminded of the role our nation’s many Chalkboard Champions have played throughout history to preserve and perpetuate the freedoms we all enjoy.

Classroom educators teach our children about our nation’s rich heritage, our history, and our system of government. They lead children in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance daily. They guide students in the creation of hand-traced turkeys at Thanksgiving. They teach them the words and music to our patriotic songs. They design lessons about the accomplishments of our presidents and social reformers such as political activist Martin Luther King and labor leader Cesar Chavez. They remind students of the contributions of our veterans. They organize patriotic festivities throughout the year. Our teachers even educate our kids about our failures so that we can become a better democracy.

And let’s not forget that many of our nation’s courageous teachers have become, themselves, a part of our country’s rich and varied historical record. There are many fine examples. Think of Olive Mann Isbell, the Ohio teacher who was one of many pioneers who established a school in the Wild West frontier. Remember Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire history teacher who became the first educator in space. Think of Henry Alvin Cameron, the Tennessee science teacher who sacrificed his life for freedom in the WWI Battle of the Argonne Forest. Appreciate Robert Parris Moses, the New York City math teacher who played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Think of Carrie Chapman Catt, the Iowa teacher who dedicated her life to earning the right to vote for women. Consider Zitkala-Sa, the South Dakota teacher who worked to secure the vote for Native Americans.

From sea to shining sea, there are thousands of teachers in our nation’s history who have made contributions to our society in large ways or quiet ways as veterans, activists, and supporters of our democracy. We thank them all for the freedoms we celebrate today.

You can read about some of these heroic teachers in my first book, Chalkboard Champions, or in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes, both available on amazon.

Most of all, experience and enjoy your Independence Day!

 

Sally W. Morris: Educator and tireless volunteer

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Sally W. Morris, a middle school teacher from Redlands, California, who was a tireless volunteer in many areas of her community. Photo credit: Legacy.

Many dedicated educators give so much, not only to their students in the classroom, but also to their communities. One of these is Sally W. Morris, a middle school teacher from Redlands, California, who was a tireless volunteer in many areas of her community.

Sally Wieschendorff was born on April 23, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 1949, her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, and they settled in San Marino. In 1957, Sally completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree from University of Redlands with a double major in Education and Political Science.

In 1961, Sally married Pat Morris and the couple moved to Stanford. Sally inaugurated her career as an educator in the nearby town of San Carlos. By 1964, the couple returned to San Bernardino County, and Sally accepted a position as a middle school teacher. In addition to her work in the classroom, Sally organized, trained, and supervised volunteers for the Students in the Courthouse program that brought students to the Central Courthouse to learn about our nation’s legal and justice system. She was also instrumental in the founding of the Community Arts Productions, and she served as a docent for the San Bernardino Symphony’s Music in the Schools program. And, as if all this were not enough, Sally served as the President of the University of Redlands Alumni Association.

For many decades, Sally also made significant contributions to her community. She co-founded a nonprofit organization to assure children and youth confined to Juvenile hall would be able to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and graduations. She made weekly deliveries of surplus food from Inland Harvest to feed the hungry at both the Salvation Army and the Frazee Community Center. She also organized a group of volunteers from First Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino to collect, pack, and distribute care packages filled with groceries to needy families in her area. And in 1990, after working with former President Jimmy Carter on a Habitat for Humanity project in Tijuana, Sally co-founded the San Bernardino Area Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

And all of this only scratches the surface of this remarkable educator’s accomplishments. Sadly, she passed away on June 11, 2021. She was 82 years old. To read more about her, see the obituary published by Legacy.

Georgia teacher William Henry Spencer worked to improve education for Black students

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William Henry Spencer of Columbus, Georgia, was an exemplary public school teacher who worked tirelessly to provide excellent educational opportunities for African American students. Photo credit: Public Domain.

In our nation’s history, there are many fine examples of African American educators who have worked tirelessly to provide quality education to Black students. William Henry Spencer was one such educator.

William was born on September 21, 1857, in the city of Columbus in Muscogee County, Georgia. He was one of eight children of a local blacksmith. As a youngster, William attended Asbury Chapel, a Columbus public school which served African American students. In his later years, this lifelong learner enrolled in Clark College, a historically Black private college located in Atlanta, Georgia.

William gained his teaching certificate in 1875 and inaugurated his teaching career in Harris County schools. Before long, he transferred to the city school system in his home town of Columbus. For the next fifty years, William dedicated himself to improving the curriculum of segregated schools, and he worked diligently to establish courses in fine arts and vocational practices. Because of his expertise, he was selected as the Supervisor of the Colored Schools in Muscogee County, a position he held from 1912 to 1925. During this time, William’s passion was to establish an accredited high school for African American students in Columbus. His dream was finally realized with the opening of a new facility on November 29, 1930. The school was named William Henry Spencer High School in his honor.

Sadly, William did not live long enough to see the realization of his goal. This Chalkboard Champion died of complications of appendicitis on May 30, 1925. He was 67 years old.

Rhode Island educator Ashley Adamson earns Teacher of the Year award

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Rhode Island educator Ashley Adamson, who teaches third grade at Hathaway Elementary in Portsmouth, has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: East Bay Rhode Island.

Congratulations are in order for educator Ashley Adamson of Rhode Island, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Ashley teaches third grade at Hathaway Elementary in Portsmouth.

Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Rhode Island. She has taught in Portsmouth since 2010. She has spent the last six years at Hathaway Elementary since 2015. Her daily lessons consist of small-group, differentiated instruction that derives from assessment data and self-reflection. Lisa Little, Principal of Hathaway, describes Ashely as an outstanding teacher. “Whether interacting with students, communicating with parents, sharing with colleagues, leading or attending professional development activities, she excels at her job,” expressed Little. “Her knowledge of children and how they learn and her genuine love of teaching are extraordinary.”

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, she has served as an instructor for the RICAS Ramp Up Program, as a presenter on social and emotional learning for colleagues, and as a pilot teacher for a new adoption of the English Language Arts curriculum. In addition, she has served as a middle school coach for softball, basketball, and soccer; as a student counselor advisor; and as an advisor for the school robotics group. Her career as an educator has spanned a total of 14 years.

For her work as an educator, Ashley has earned many accolades. In addition to Rhode Island’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, she has been recognized as the 2019 Portsmouth Teacher of the Year; she earned an Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Learning (ECET) Award in 2018; and she garnered Carter Spark Grants in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

To read more about Ashley Adamson, see this article about her published by the Rhode Island Department of Education.