Category Archives: Education

William Taylor Adams: Teacher, author, and Massachusetts politician

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William Taylor Adams: Teacher, author, and Massachusetts politician

It is not unusual for talented educators to make a mark in other professions. This is true of William Taylor Adams. He was a dedicated teacher who was also a celebrated author and successful politician.

William was born on July 30, 1822, in Medway Massachusetts. As a child, he attended schools in Boston and West Roxbury. He also completed a year at “Able Whitney’s private academy” after he completed his high school education. During these years, William was described as an excellent student.

As a young man, he inaugurated his career as an educator in 1843 at the Lower Road School in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He was highly thought of there. After three years, he left the classroom to work in the family business, the Adams House Hotel in Boston. But by in 1848, William missed teaching so much that he returned to the classroom. That’s when he accepted a teaching position at the Boylston School in Boston. By 1860, he was named the headmaster of the school. When the Bowditch School was founded, William taught there as well. In all, William’s career as an educator spanned 20 years.

When he was 28 years old, William published his first book It was a volume for juvenile readers, released under the pseudonym Warren T. Ashton. The book, published in 1853, was entitled Hatchie, the Guardian Slave. The following year, he produced the first in a series of books dubbed the Boat Club Series, which was an instant hit. He is probably best known, though, for his books in the Blue and Gray Series. These books featured settings in the Civil War. In total, William wrote more than 100 books, most of them for adolescent boys. Most of his books were published under the pseudonym Oliver Optic.

In addition to his work in the classroom and as an author, William enjoyed success as a politician and legislator. He served as a member of the school board for the town of Dorchester. Later he completed a 14-year stint on Boston’s school board. In 1869, William was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He served there representing the 5th Norfolk District until 1870.

This amazing educator, author, and politician passed away March 27, 1897, in Dorchester. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Dorchester. To read more about him, click on this link to his biography published by the University of Massachusetts.

Covid-19 claims the life of beloved NYC teacher Sandra Santos-Vizcaino

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Beloved New York City elementary teacher Sandra Santos-Vizcaino succumbed to Covid-19 on March 30.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Sandra Santos-Vizcaino, a beloved elementary school teacher from New York City.

Sandra was born November 1, 1965, in Cotui, Dominican Republic. Her father, Antonio Santos, was an aviation mechanic and her mother, Natividad Brito, was employed as a seamstress and cake-baker. The family transplanted to New York City when Sandra was 11.

As a young woman, Sandra earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bard College, with a double major in Biology and Latin American Literature. Next, she attended Long Island University, Brooklyn campus, where she earned two Master’s degrees, one in Science and the second in Science Education. She also earned a degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York.

Sandra inaugurated her career as an educator in 1995. She taught for four years at PS 9 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. There she taught third grade in the dual-language program, with instruction in both English and Spanish. She had a reputation for her heartwarming hugs and her generous soul.  But she was also known for her seriousness, for her rigor, and for pushing her students to read. In all, she taught 25 years.

Sandra was a member of the Association of Dominican American Supervisors and Administrators. She was awarded the Outstanding Education Leader Award in the Dominican Republic for her work in education on the island.

Sadly, Sandra passed away on March 31, 2020, from Covid-19. She was 54 years old. “The notion that we’ve lost a teacher, it’s very painful,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “These are people who devote their lives to our kids, and losing someone who is that good a person, who is giving that much, is just very very painful.”

To read more about this amazing educator, see her obituary at the New York Times.

Philadelphia’s Keziah Ridgeway stays connected with students during pandemic

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High school history teacher Keziah Ridgeway from Philadelpohia, Pennsylvania, stays connected with her students by leading a free online course in African American history during coronavirus pandemic closures.

Teachers all over the country have struggled over the past month to stay connected with their students during coronavirus shut down. One teacher who is doing this very successfully is Keziah Rodgeway, a history teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Keziah teaches at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. When the schools in her district were shut down, she offered her students a free online course on African American history to any student who was interested. The response was so enthusiastic that she now teaches her course four days a week on Google Hangouts Meet. Between 40 to 60 students per week, some of them from out of state, tune in to the online sessions, even though the classes aren’t required and even though they wont be getting any credit for the effort.

There is more at stake than knowledge. Keziah and her students are attempting to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, and to stay connected with others while social distancing at home. “When we are educating, we are doing so much more than that,” Keziah expressed. “And it’s so important for our students to see that we really care about them — that we’re invested in their future. And one way you do that is showing up.”

Before long, Keziah noticed that her virtual classroom has become its own little universe, with kids from around the city forging new bonds. One day she had to cancel class because of other job obligations. When she logged on to remind students of the cancellation, she found a lot of them were still there in the virtual class — hanging out, chatting with each other, and even trying to lead a lesson themselves. “They really log on to be a part of a community,” she said. “They continue to come because they want to continue to interact and have some sort of normalcy.”

Keziah earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Temple University in 2009. She earned her  Master’s degree in Secondary Education and her teaching credentials from Saint Joseph’s University in 2011. She has taught for  Philadelphia Public Schools since 2014.

To read more about teachers and their efforts to stay in touch with their students during the pandemic, see this article from WHYY at PBS.

Robert Aley: The rural teacher who became a university president

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Robert Judson Aley, the rural schoolteacher who became a university president.

Many talented classroom teachers go on to prominent positions in institutions of higher learning. One of these is Robert Aley, a rural schoolteacher who became the president of two universities.

Robert Judson Aley was born in Coal City, Jefferson Township, Indiana, on May 11, 1863. Young Robert inaugurated his teaching career at the tender age of 14.

After three years of teaching in rural schools, Robert enrolled at Valparaiso University. Valparaiso is a private Lutheran university located in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. There Robert earned his Bachelors degree in 1882. He earned his Masters degree from Indiana University in 1890. He also completed graduate courses at Stanford University. In 1897, he earned his Doctorate in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

After he earned his degrees, Robert accepted a position as a professor of mathematics at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana. He worked there from 1888 to 1891. Then Robert served as the fifth president of the University of Maine. His tenure there ran for ten years, from Jan., 1911, to August 1921. A fervent supporter of United States involvement in World War I, Robert ordered mandatory attendance during pro-war events in and near the campus. He spent the next ten years as the president of Butler College in Indiana, from 1921 to 1931.

This amazing educator also became the author of several books. One of these is Contributions to the Geometry of the Triangle and the State Manual and Uniform Course of Study for the Elementary Schools of Indiana. He also published The Story of Indiana and Its People, co-authored with Max Aley.

Sadly, Robert Aley succumbed to pneumonia in 1935. He was 72 years old. To see additional information about Robert, click on this link to the University of Maine.

Science educator Linda Rost named Montana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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High school science educator Linda Rost named Montana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

All over our country, there are so many talented educators who have been honored for the work they do in the classroom. Among them is Linda Rost, a high school science teacher from Montana. She was recognized as the 2020 Montana Teacher of the Year. She has also been named one of four finalists for the 2020 National Teacher of the Year award. In addition, Linda has garnered the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Teacher Award three times, the Continental Cares grant two times, and the 2016 National Vernier Engineering Contest.

Linda teaches at Baker High School in Baker, Montana. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Linda serves as the Chairperson of the Baker Public Schools Professional Development Committee. She established the committee in 2018 to focus on STEM and Indian Education for All (IEFA) K-12 collaborations and grant projects. IEFA encourages all Montanans to learn about American Indian heritage in a culturally respectful way. Her career as a professional educator has spanned 12 years.

Currently, Linda is working toward her doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Texas Tech University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2006 from New Mexico State University. She earned two Master’s degrees from Montana State University at Bozeman. The first is in Instruction & Curriculum (2010) and the second is in Science Education (2018).

“Teaching is my life’s passion, so this award is incredibly meaningful,” remarked Linda. “I was raised by passionate educators who instilled in me an insatiable hunger for learning, and I love infecting my students with that same passion,” she continued. “Upon completion, I plan to teach pre-service teachers in undergraduate programs to help mitigate our current rural teacher shortage in Montana. I also am hoping to serve a greater role in some of the statewide, STEM professional-development grant programs as a researcher and grant writer,” she concluded.

The highly prestigious National Teacher of the Year award is given annually by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to identify exceptional teachers nationwide, celebrate their effective work in and outside of the classroom, amplify their voices and empower them to take part in policy discussions at the state and national levels.

To read more about Linda, see this link at nnstoy.org.