Category Archives: Education

New York’s Julia Richman: She was a champion for immigrant students

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Just about everyone agrees that a teacher can profoundly influence the lives of the students in his or her classroom. But Julia Richman, an educator, philanthropist, author, and social reformer from New York City, influenced the lives of students in an entire city.

Julia was born October 12, 1855, in New York City, the daughter of German-speaking Jewish immigrants from the Czech Republic. At a young age, Julia made some important decisions about her own future. “I am not pretty…and I am not going to marry,” she once declared, “but before I die, all New York will know my name.”

Julia was determined to become a teacher, a decision her very traditional father vehemently opposed. In the late 1800’s, an eighth grade education was considered sufficient for girls. However, after a protracted battle royal, Julia convinced her father to allow her to pursue her goal of becoming a professional educator. In 1872, Julia realized her dream when she graduated from Hunter College.

Over the next four decades, Julia worked tirelessly as a classroom teacher, principal, school superintendent, and social reformer. Inside the classroom and within her community, she improved the lives of countless newly arrived immigrants, special needs students, and delinquents: the children 19th-century society typically considered “throwaway kids.” This innovative educator tossed away the conventional methods of instruction of her day, and designed model programs that educators from all over the world came to observe. She instituted numerous progressive practices that are still used in public schools today.

When Julia passed away in 1912, the New York City Board of Education ordered the flags of all NYC public schools be flown at half mast in her honor. It appeared that Julia’s prediction as an eleven-year-old had come true: all New York City New her name.

Want to learn more about Julia Richman? I’ve written an entire chapter about this amazing educator in my book, Chalkboard Champions, available on amazon or bn.com. Available in print or ebook versions.

Retired music teacher Rushia Stephens passes away from coronavirus

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Retired choral music teacher Rushia Stephens of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away from coronavirus on March 19, 2020.

Sadly, many outstanding educators have succumbed to the coronavirus. One of these is Rushia Stephens, a retired teacher from Atlanta, DeKalb County, Georgia. Rushia passed away on March 19, 2020. She was only 65 years old.

Rushia was born September 7, 1954. As a teenager, Rushia was one of the first black students to attend what was known then as Northside School of Performing Arts. After her graduation, she went on to study first at Morris Brown College in Sumter, South Carolina, and then at Ithaca School of the Arts in New York. There she sang alto soprano and performed in the theater. She also was a  member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Vocal Music Performance in 1974.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree, Rushia returned home, where she taught choral music for many years at her alma mater, which by then had become North Atlanta High School. During that time she also earned a Master’s degree in Music Education from Georgia State University in 1992.

Rushia’s career with Atlanta Public Schools spanned 28 years.The dynamic educator will be remembered fondly by her former students. “From the first moment that you met her, she commanded the room,” remembers Zipporah Taylor, one of those former students. “She had a beautiful smile. I remember being a freshman and receiving my first solo in the Messiah and just thinking how she was giving me all of these tips and said,  ‘Darling, you must perform–the stage is yours!'”

After her retirement as an educator, Rushia went back to teaching music at Montclair Elementary School in DeKal. She busies herself with organizing plays and musical performances for younger students.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this link at the Atlantic Journal.

Educator Nicholas Ferroni shares ideas for teaching during pandemic

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High school teacher Nicholas Ferroni speaks to US News and Current Events Today about how his job has shifted amid the coronavirus pandemic. He’s been an educator at Union High School in Union, New Jersey, for the past 17 years. Courses he teaches include US History, Cultural Studies, JHistory Through Pop Culture, and Mass Media. Here’s a short video that shows how he continues to educate his students and keep spirits high in the age of social distancing. Enjoy!

Chalkboard Champion and Army Veteran Jeremy Heckler

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Educator, Teacher Librarian, US Army veteran, and journalist Jeremy Heckler of Las Vegas, Nevada.

There are many talented teachers who have served our nation in the military before serving their students in the classroom. One of these is Jeremy Heckler, an educator and teacher librarian from Las Vegas, Nevada, who also did stints in Honduras, El Salvador, and Iraq as a member of the US Army.

Jeremy was born in Long Beach, California, and raised in Corona, California. He graduated from Centennial High School in Corona in 1993. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from California State University, San Bernardino, in 1997. He completed the requirements for a Master’s degree in Education Administration in 2010, and a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in 2011, both from Grand Canyon University.

Jeremy Heckler served in the US Army, completing deployments in Honduras, El Salvador, and Iraq.

Once Jeremy completed his student teaching, he was eager to pursue a passion for journalism, so he put a career in education on the back burner and joined the military. Serving as a journalist in the US Army, Jeremy traveled to Honduras and El Salvador. “When I deployed, I finally understood new things about being a teacher,” Jeremy remembers. “I met kids in orphanages who were there because their parents couldn’t afford to take care of them. I talked to missionaries who went into prisons and talked to gang members that made some of the kids I worked with as a student teacher look like boy Scouts,” he described. “I deployed again to Iraq and saw the after effects of kids with no real education. They were the ones sucked into the violence against soldiers and civilians,” he said. “I never wanted that in my own country or my town. I hoped to help as many kids as I could,” he declared.

Once he was discharged from the Army, Jeremy inaugurated his career as an educator when we accepted a position as an Intermediate Resource Room teacher at JT McWilliams Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He made the move to the secondary level when he transferred to Marvin M. Sedway Middle School in North Las Vegas. There he taught 7th grade US History. Later he moved to Las Vegas’s East Career and Technical Academy, where he taught US History, Advanced Placement US History, and Journalism. “It was magic how all my crazy lesson worked,” remembers Jeremy. “My favorite was when my 11th graders practiced their own Civil Rights march and talked about the Movement’s needs and issues,” he recalls.

After many years in Las Vegas, the veteran educator decided to move with his family to Clarksville, Tennessee, where Jeremy taught at Fort Campbell High School on the Fort Campbell military installation. There he taught AP US History, World History, Digital Photography, and Journalism.

After completing his teaching assignment in Tennessee, Jeremy and his family returned to Las Vegas, where he accepted a position as a 7th grade history and 8th grade geography teacher at Garside Junior High School. Eager for yet another new adventure, he launched himself into courses on Library Science.

Currently, Jeremy serves as the Teacher Librarian at Robert Lunt Elementary School in Las Vegas. “I love being in the library,” expresses Jeremy. “I see every single student on campus. I help them develop a love of reading and books,” he continued. “My favorite day is Tuesday, because I get to read to my Pre-K students and help them enjoy reading for reading.” In addition to reading aloud to students, Jeremy organizes numerous Maker-Space activities. His projects include guiding students into researching ancient pyramids and building replicas with Legos, and researching and designing marble roller coasters. “I hope I give them inspiration to see the world,” Jeremy confesses.

Jeremy Heckler: a true Chalkboard Champion.

Science teacher Chanda Jefferson: South Carolina’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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Science teacher Chanda Jefferson, South Carolina’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional classroom teachers who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Chanda Jefferson, who has just been named South Carolina’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Chanda teaches at Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, South Carolina. She serves as the Chair of the Science Department, the STEM Lead teacher, and a science teacher there.

“Teaching is in my DNA,” Chanda once declared. “My mother stressed the importance of education, and I developed a love for school and learning — especially science,” she continued. “I discovered I loved getting kids excited about science, sharing my passion with them. I realized that my true calling was to become a teacher. Teaching would allow me to help create opportunities for many children,” she concluded.

In the classroom, this outstanding educator is known for using real-world science experiences to engage her students and inspire them to become future leaders in STEM fields. When Chanda designs her lesson plans, she uses inquiry-based and culturally-relevant teaching strategies, STEM practices, and emotional intelligence strategies. “The first moment I walk into the classroom I try to figure out my students’ likes and dislikes. I learn about their families. I tell them about my family,” Chanda once explained. “As I learn about them, I use that information in the classroom. So if they like football, I try to incorporate sports into the lesson or music – whatever it is that piques their interest, including pop culture,” she continued.

In addition to being named South Carolina’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, Chanda has garnered many other accolades. She earned the South Carolina Educational Policy Fellowship, in which she works with the legislature to develop solutions to promote diversity and access in education. She also received the South Carolina Outstanding Biology Teacher Award and the Phi Beta Sigma Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, she was selected as a participant in the Princeton Molecular Biology Teacher Institute.

Chanda earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2009 and her Master’s degree in Teaching Secondary Sciences in 2011, both from the University of South Carolina. She also earned a Master’s of Educational Leadership from Columbia University in New York City in 2019.

To read more about this amazing educator, see this link at Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement, also known as CERRA.