Category Archives: Education

African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray

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African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray became known for her sonnets and her ode to Abraham Lincoln.

Many excellent educators have also earned fame for their endeavors outside of the classroom. One of these was Henrietta Cordelia Ray, an African American teacher who is best known for composing a poem about Abraham Lincoln that is associated with the Freedmen’s Memorial located in Washington, DC.

Henrietta was born on Aug. 30, 1852, in New York City. Her father was Charles Bennett Ray, a blacksmith, abolitionist, and clergyman.

As a young woman, Henrietta earned her degree in pedagogy from the University of the City of New York in 1891. She also studied French, German, Greek, and Latin at the Sauvener School of Languages. Then she launched her career as a public school teacher in New York City schools. During this period, Henrietta also became active in community-building and political activism.

Henrietta gave up her position as an educator to pursue a career as a writer. One her pieces, an eight-line ode to Abraham Lincoln, was read at the unveiling of the Freedmen’s Memorial in Washington, DC, in April, 1876. At this unveiling ceremony, the prominent African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass served as the keynote speaker. In 1887, Henrietta co-authored a biography of her father with her sister, Florence. The book was entitled “Sketch of the Life of Rev. Charles B. Ray.” Henrietta also published a collection of sonnets in 1893 and a second book of poetry in 1910.  Selections from the 1910 volume were widely included in anthologies published in the early 20th century. Frequently, the subjects of her verse were nature, piety, and idealism.

In her retirement years, Henrietta returned to her original vocation of teaching. She tutored students and instructed English classes for teachers. In addition, she organized and participated in regional and national conferences for African American teachers.

Sadly, Henrietta passed away on Jan. 5, 1916. She was 63 years old.

Teacher Miriam Del Banco earned acclaim as an author and poet

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Teacher and principal Miriam Del Banco was also an acclaimed author and poet. She is pictured here in 1931. Photo credit: Public Domain

I am always excited to share the story of a talented educator who has earned accolades for their work as writers. One of these is Miriam Del Banco, a teacher and principal who earned acclaim as an author and poet.

Miriam Del Banco was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 27, 1858. Her father was a respected rabbi and her mother was a homemaker. Sadly, Miriam’s father passed away when she was just an infant, and and Miriam went to live with an uncle in St. Louis, Missouri. She enrolled in school there, and even as a child, she displayed remarkable talent as a poet.

When she grew up, Miriam attended Missouri State Normal School (now known as Missouri State University) in Springfield. She earned her PhD from DePaul University in 1921.

Once she completed her initial degrees, Miriam relocated to Chicago, where her mother was already living. In 1885, she accepted a position as a public school teacher in Chicago schools. Four years later she became an assistant principal at Von Humboldt School, and in 1904 she was named the principal of McClellan Elementary School. In 1908 she became the principal of Motley Public School.

In addition to her work as an educator, Miriam was also a prolific writer and translator. She translated Kayserling’s “Die Jüdischen Frauen,” which appeared serially in the columns of the Jewish Advance and was published in Chicago in 1881 and Alberti’s “Ludwig Börne,” which appeared in the Menorah, published in 1888-1889. Miriam also published articles in educational journals and she wrote many poems, both Jewish and secular in content, that were published to high acclaim. A collection of her work entitled Poetry and Prose was published posthumously.

During her lifetime, Miriam was a member of the Principal’s Club; the Ella Flagg Young Club; the National Education Association; and the Wild Flower Preservation Society.

Miriam passed away on November 6, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. She was 61 years old.

History teacher Pat Conroy has become an acclaimed author

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Former history teacher Pat Conroy has become a leading figure of Southern literature. Photo credit: Pat Conroy

Sometimes in history a talented educator earns fame, fortune, and acclaim in the literary world. One teacher like this is Pat Conroy, considered by many the leading figure of Southern literature of the late 20th century. Pat Conroy is the author of two acclaimed novels: The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini. Both these novels have garnered Academy Awards as films. He also penned the successful novel The Lords of Discipline.

Donald Patrick Conroy was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 26, 1945. His father was a Marine Corps fighter pilot, and for this reason his family moved frequently. Pat once said he attended eleven different schools before his sophomore year. Also, he has often described his father as abusive and his childhood as traumatic.

As a college student, Pat attended The Citadel, an all-male military college in South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in English in 1967. After earning his degree, Pat accepted a position as an English teacher at Beaufort High School in Beaufort, South Carolina. While there, he wrote his first novel, The Boo, which he self-published using money he borrowed from the bank.

After two years, Pat spent a year teaching at a two-room school on Daufuskie Island off the coast of South Carolina. There he worked to expand the horizons of his African American students, poorly-educated kids who spoke the Gullah dialect and had very little knowledge of the world beyond their island. Pat’s unorthodox instructional methods caused the superintendent of schools to fire him after just one year. Nevertheless, Pat relished his job as an educator. “There’s no word in the language I revere more than ‘teacher,’” Pat said in 1986. “My heart sings when a kid refers to me as his teacher, and it always has. I’ve honored myself and the entire family of man by becoming a teacher.”

This dedicated educator and outstanding author passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 4, 2016. He was 70 years old. He is interred at St. Helena Memorial Garden on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. To read the 2009 interview with Pat Conroy published by Low Country Weekly, click on The Power of Circles.

Teacher Annie Brown Leslie became one of the country’s first advice columnists

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Teacher Annie Brown Leslie was among the first advice columnists in the country. Thoughout the Great Depression, her readers chipped in thousands of dollars to finance philanthropic endeavors she supported. Photo credit: The Detroit News

Many fine classroom teachers are also successful journalists. One of these was Annie Brown Leslie, a teacher from Maine who earned acclaim as one of the country’s first advice columnists.

Annie was born on Dec. 11, 1870, in Perry, Maine, the daughter of a farmer and Civil War veteran. As a young girl, she attended high school in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Upon her graduation in 1888, she enrolled at Mount Holyoke College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1892.

After earning her degree, Annie inaugurated her career as a schoolteacher. Over the course of ten years, she taught in schools in Rockville, Connecticut; White River Junction, Vermont; and Mount Clemens, Michigan.

On Sept. 19, 1904, Annie married journalist and editor James Edward Leslie. After he died in 1917, she took over his position as the drama editor for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Before long, using the pen name “Nancy Brown,” Annie began to publish an advice column entitled “Experience” for The Detroit News. The column ran from 1917 to 1942. In fact, she was among the first advice columnists in the country. Because of her common-sense philosophy, the former teacher won respect and widespread readership, and her column grew to be immensely influential. In 1929, her readers donated substantial funds to plant trees in a clearcut forest in Northern Michigan. At her suggestion, her readers contributed to a fundraising campaign in 1930 to purchase artwork for the Detroit Institute of Arts. They also funded a concert series by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Thoughout the Great Depression, thousands of readers chipped in pennies or a dollar, or two, or five, for philanthropic endeavors supported by “Nancy Brown.”

Sadly, Annie Brown Leslie passed away on Oct. 7, 1948. She was 77 years old. To read more about this amazing educator and journalist, see this article about her published by The Detroit News.

Stephanie Pritts named Iowa’s 2026 State Teacher of the Year

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Instructional coach Stephanie Pritts of Sheldon, Iowa, has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Sheldon Community School District

There are many exemplary educators who serve in American public schools. Occasionally, one of these garners well-earned recognition for their work. One of these is Stephanie Pritts, who has been named the 2026 Teacher of the Year for her home state of Iowa.

Stephanie works as an instructional coach in the Sheldon Community School District located in Sheldon, Iowa. She has worked in this role for the past ten years. Prior to this position, she taught both first and third grades.

As an instructional coach, Stephanie emphasizes relationships, evidence-based practices, and data-driven decision-making. She helps her colleagues in implementing high-impact strategies and reflecting on instructional effectiveness.

This dedicated educator says she always knew she would become a teachers. When she was in elementary school, she says, students were allowed to enter their names in a drawing to take home a teacher’s manual and the student workbooks that hadn’t been fully used. She was always the very first one to enter these drawings and, when she won, she would take home the manuals so she could teach to her stuffed animals in her bedroom.

Sponsored by the Iowa State Department of Education, the Iowa Teacher of the Year award was established in 1958. The Iowa Teacher of the Year award recognizes exemplary teachers who demonstrate excellence in the classroom and have made a significant impact on student outcomes and fellow educators. She will represent her state at special events, such as the Space Camp and a week in Washington, DC. She will also take part in the virtual Learn and Launch Conference and the TED-Ed Educator Talks,

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Buena Vista University and her Master’s degree from Briar Cliff University in 2006. Her career as an educator spans 23 years.

To learn more about Stephanie Pritts, click on this link to an article published online by Briar Cliff University.