Category Archives: Education

Educator Jaime Escalante taught his students to Stand and Deliver

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Celebrated educator Jaime Escalante: He taught his students to Stand and Deliver.

One of the most well-known teachers in twentieth-century American history, Jaime Escalante, passed away in 2010, but already his story is fading from our collective cultural memory. He was the teacher portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver.

The recipient of numerous awards and special praise from President Ronald Reagan, Jaime Escalante was a popular and talented teacher who challenged supposedly “unteachable” inner-city Latino students to achieve beyond a level anyone thought them capable of. He eventually led them to unparalleled success on the extremely difficult Advanced Placement Calculus exam.

In researching Jaime’s life story for my own book, Chalkboard Champions, I learned some surprising facts about this remarkable educator. For example, the movie never mentions that prior to immigrating to the United States, he earned a degree in mathematics and a teaching credential in Bolivia. Jaime was a veteran teacher with nine years of experience in prestigious schools when he decided to leave his politically unstable homeland and come to America in search of a better life for his family. Once he arrived, unable to speak a word of English, Jaime discovered that his education, training, and experience held no value here.

Determined to return to the classroom, Escalante set about learning the English language and earning his university degree all over again. It took him ten years to get back into the classroom, at a significant cut in pay, by the way. But to this dedicated teacher, it was well-worth the hard work. A well-researched and well-written account of this celebrated educator’s life can be found in the biographical book Jaime Escalante: The Best Teacher in America by Jay Matthews. For a condensed version of Jaime Escalante’s life, check out chapter 12 my volume, Chalkboard Champions. Either way, you’ll find his story compelling and inspiring.

Dr. Ruth Flowers: Chalkboard Champion of Colorado

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Award-winning educator Dr. Ruth Flowers of Boulder, Colorado. (Fair Use Photo)

American history is rich with the stories of amazing Black Chalkboard Champions. One of these was Ruth Flowers, an award-winning educator from Boulder, Colorado.

Ruth was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on March 10, 1903. Her father was a bricklayer, and her mother was a dressmaker. Ruth’s father abandoned the family before Ruth was born, and her mother passed away when Ruth was only 11. The young child was raised by her grandmother. In 1917, Ruth moved with her grandmother to Boulder, Colorado. There she attended Boulder High School. During her high school years, Ruth worked at jobs in a laundry and in a restaurant to help support her family.

After she completed her high school courses in 1920, Ruth enrolled at the University of Colorado, where she majored in foreign language. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1924. For the next four years, Ruth taught language at Claflin College in South Carolina. During these years, she returned to Boulder every summer to continue her education and to take care of her aging grandmother. In 1930 she completed the coursework for her Master’s degree in French and Education.

Once she earned her Master’s degree, Ruth relocated to Washington, DC, where she accepted a position at Dunbar High School. She taught there from 1931 to 1945. Ruth was always looking for additional opportunities to gain more education. She enrolled in night courses at Robert F. Terrell Law School, where she earned a law degree in 1945. In 1937, she married her law school classmate, Harold Flowers. In 1945, Ruth left the classroom and practiced law with her husband.

Ruth returned to school in 1951 to work on a PhD in Foreign Languages and Literature. For this degree she enrolled at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. This done, Ruth taught as an Associate Professor of Spanish at North Carolina College in Durham, North Carolina. The school is now known as North Carolina Central University. In 1958, she spent a year in Spain.

In 1959, Ruth returned to Boulder, where she accepted a position as the Chair of the Foreign Language Department at Fairview High School. She taught courses in Spanish and Latin there. She was the first African American teacher to work in the Boulder Valley School District. She taught there until her retirement in 1967.

During the 1970-1971 school year, Ruth came out of retirement to teach a course in African American literature as part of the Black Studies program at the University of Colorado.

For her superior work in the classroom, Ruth garnered a Teacher of the Year award from Harvard University in 1969. She was also named Bicentennial Mother of Achievement by the state of Colorado in 1975.

Ruth Flowers passed away on November 20, 1980, in Boulder. She was 77 years old. To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, see this link to BlackPast.

Ezekiel Cheever: “Chief representative of colonial schoolmaster”

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Ezekiel Cheever, who has been called “the chief representative of the colonial schoolmaster.”

There are many notable educators that go way back in American history. One of these was Ezekiel Cheever, an educator and author who dates back all the way to the 1600’s.

Ezekiel was born in January 25, 1615, in London, England. Ezekiel earned his education at Christ’s Hospital & Emmanuel College in  Cambridge, England, where he graduated in 1635. He then migrated to Boston, Massachusetts. That was in June of 1637. Later, he moved to  Quinnipiac, the Indian settlement that became the New Haven Colony later known as Connecticut). There he taught school, and after some time there he returned to Massachusetts.

Back in Boston, he accepted a job offer to become the Headmaster of the Boston Latin School. During a career that spanned 70 years, Ezekiel spent a whopping 38 of them at the Boston Latin School. His poorly-lit classroom featured a smoky fireplace and a bundle of birch rods beside his desk. One of his students was the famous historical figure Cotton Mather.

During the course of his career as an educator, Ezekiel wrote what is believed to be the earliest American school book. The book was a foreign language grammar book entitled Accidence: A Short Introduction to the Latin Tongue. This book was published in many editions for nearly 200 years after its original publication, longer than any Latin textbook published in this country.

For his outstanding work in the classroom, Ezekiel has been called “the chief representative of the colonial schoolmaster.” When this exemplary teacher passed away on August 21, 1708, it was said that “New England (had) never known a better teacher.” Cotton Mather delivered a sermon at his funeral.

To learn more about this American historical figure, read this journal article by Franklin Parker entitled Ezekiel Cheever: New England Colonial Teacher.

Teacher Cara Lougheed named Michigan State’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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Stoney Creek High School Language Arts teacher Cara Lougheed named Michigan State’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

I enjoy sharing stories about educators that have earned accolades for their dedication and hard work in the classroom. One of these is Cara Lougheed, a high school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher from Michigan. She has been named her state’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.

Cara has taught in Rochester Community School District for the past 21 years. She inaugurated her career at Rochester High School in 1998, and then transferred to Stoney Creek High School when it opened in the Fall of 2001. She has taught Advanced Placement and remedial courses for students in the ninth through the twelfth grades.

“The most rewarding thing is getting through to kids, building those relationships, and helping kids see their potential when they don’t see it in themselves,” declared Cara. “Especially in my last 10 years, I have paid a lot more attention to young girls – helping them see that they can have an opinion,” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cara has served on committees to design curriculum, improve school climate, and increase attendance. Over the past decade, she has mentored six student teachers from four different universities. She has also served as a building representative for her local teachers’ union and she has served as a delegate for the National Education Association.

Cara is also working on a myriad of other education-related projects. Currently, Cara is serving as a student intern and mentor liaison to Oakland University (OU). She is working collaboratively with the Michigan Program Network (MiPN) and TeachingWorks to improve and strengthen the teacher education program. In addition, Cara is an advisory member of OU’s Vision 20/20 committee, which solicits the input of classroom teachers in making improvements to teacher education.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see the story at this link: Bridge Magazine.

How our nation’s teachers contribute to 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.