Category Archives: Education

Teacher Samuel Youngs: The inspiration behind Washington Irving’s character Ichabod Crane

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History abounds with school teachers who have earned fame outside of the classroom. This is true of Samuel Youngs, an American school teacher who was a close friend of famous American author Washington Irving. In fact, scholars speculate that Samuel served as the inspiration for the character of Ichabod Crane in Irving’s story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

7051406_117574152061Samuel Youngs was born December 4, 1760. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a lieutenant in the 4th New York Infantry Regiment led by Baron Frederick von Weissenfels. Throughout the war, Samuel served the fledgling American army as a guide over the roads and trails in the county around his home. He was one of a dozen native soldiers known as The Westchester Guides. His father’s farmhouse, located near the intersection of Bradhurst Avenue and Grasslands Road in Eastview, was the scene of a British raid during the Revolution.

After the war was won, Samuel served as a Federalist member of the New York State Assembly from 1796-1797, 1809, and 1810. Additionally, Samuel served as a Surrogate of Westchester County in 1800, 1807, 1810, 1811, and 1819.

The intrepid school teacher and veteran passed away on September 12, 1839. He was originally buried in the yard of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow in New York. There he was honored with other citizens of Tarrytown who fought during the Revolutionary War. His service was recognized with a monument, pictured at left. The inscription at the bottom of the monument reads: “This monument is erected by Major General Aaron Ward, 9 division, N.Y.S.M. in testimony of his high appreciation of the services of a brave officer and a true patriot.” In 1851, Samuel’s remains were relocated to the Dale Cemetery in Ossining, New York. He was the first person to be buried in that cemetery.

To read more, click on this link about Samuel Youngs.

Cecilia Chung: Hawaii’s 2020 State Teacher of the Year.

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Sixth grade teacher Cecilia Chung has just been named the 2020 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations go to Cecilia Chung of Ewa Beach, Hawaii! She has just been named her state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Cecilia currently teaches sixth grade teacher at Ka’imiloa Elementary School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. She has taught there since 2013. For the previous two years, this talented educator served her school as their technology integration coach for grades K-6.

The honored educator says she began integrating technology into her lesson plans when she was asked to pilot a 1:1 Chromebook Initiative in her classroom. She confesses that she loves to use technology to draw out student ownership and empowerment. To do this, she says she uses G-Suite Apps, game-based learning, BreakoutEDU, and project-based learning.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cecilia is a mentor and inspiration to her fellow educators. She has organized and led a variety of workshops for the educational community. She has been featured at the Schools of the Future Conference, EdCamp for West O’ahu, and the Ed Tech Conference for Kamehameha Schools. Cecilia has also been named a Hawai’i State Teacher Fellow. In this role, she works with public school teachers to improve their leadership skills, to empower them, and to elevate the teaching profession.

Cecilia earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California in 2013. She earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Johns Hopkins University in 2015. She has also completed study abroad courses through Meiji University in Japan (2010) and Yonsei University in Korea (2012).

To read more about Cecilia, click on this link to her story on the web page for the Hawaii Sate Department of Education. You can also view this short YouTube video below.

Former teacher, Iowa State Senator, and Ambassador Mary E. Kramer

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Former teacher, Iowa State Senator, and Ambassador Mary E. Kramer.

There are many accomplished educators who have also enjoyed successful careers in politics. One of these is Mary E. Kramer, a teacher and administrator who served as an Iowa State Senator and an ambassador.

Mary was born on June 14, 1935, in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa, and was raised in Iowa City. As a young girl, she attended Iowa City High School. Upon her high school graduation, she enrolled at the University of Iowa where she majored in Piano Performance. There she earned both a Bachelor’s degree, and also a Master’s degree in Education.

Once she completed her education, Mary worked as a music teacher and school administrator in her home town. Her career as an educator spanned nearly 20 years. Mary left the teaching profession in 1975 to accept a position as Corporate Personnel Director for Younkers, Inc. She also worked for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she served first as Vice President of Human Resources and then as Vice President of Community Investments.

In 1990, Mary was elected to the Iowa State Senate on the Republican ticket. She represented the cities of Clive, Des Moines, and West Des Moines. While serving in the Senate, the former teacher championed issues related to education, health care, and economic development. In 2002, Mary was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the Chairperson of the White house Commission for Presidential Scholars. In 2003, the President selected her the US Ambassador to the Seven Island Nations of the Eastern Caribbean. She remained in that post until she retired from politics in 2006.

In addition to her other accomplishments, Mary has also authored two books. Her first book, More than a Walk on the Beach: Confessions of an Unlikely Diplomat, was published in 2010. Her second book, An Unlikely Ambassador and Her Diplomatic Daughter: Stories & Recipes for the Life You Want. The volume, published in 2015, was co-authored with her daughter Krista Kramer-Hartman.

This chalkboard champion was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2015 was named a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Iowa. To read more about her, view this link at the Archives of Women’s Political Communication.

Nominate a chalkboard champion for this blog!

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There are so many talented educators out there that by myself I cannot possibly find out about them all. How about some help? Do you know a remarkable teacher?Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, and administrators alike. Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire. You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post on this web site. Simply use the contact form at right to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate. I’ll do the rest! Hope to hear from you soon!

Music educator Dre Graham: Just named Florida’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations to music educator Dr. Dakeyan Chan “Dre” Graham of Tampa, Florida, who has just been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Dre was selected from more than 176,900 Florida excellent public school teachers.

The honored educator currently serves as the Director of Instrumental Studies at his alma mater, C. Leon King High School. He has been an educator there for 10 years. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Dre works in his community to promote and infuse music education into Title I schools. Title I schools serve a large number of low-income students. He also belongs to numerous professional organizations.

During his years with Hillsborough County Public Schools, Dre’s students have performed at a high level of determination and focus. Some have even been selected to perform in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran appreciates Dre’s expertise. “The fact that Dr. Graham has repeatedly earned superior ratings from the Florida School Music Association is a testament to his talent and ability to instill in his students a passion for the magnificent art of musical performance,” the commissioner asserts. “He possesses many qualities that make him an excellent role model, and it is a pleasure to recognize him.”

Dre earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Florida. He also earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University. As if all that wasn’t enough, he has a PhD in Music Education from the University of South Florida.

Music educator Dr. Dakeyan Chan “Dre” Graham of Tampa, Florida, has just been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

In his role as the 2020 Florida Teacher of the Year, Dre will also serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education. In this capacity he will work to increase public awareness of Florida’s exceptional teachers and the teaching profession. He will have the opportunity to promote and celebrate the countless contributions of Florida’s teachers. He will also provide professional learning opportunities for fellow educators and recruit future teachers into the education profession. In addition, Dre will receive an $8,000 two-Year scholarship from the Florida Prepaid College Board which he will be able to give to any student of his choice.

To read more about this chalkboard champion, click on this link to a story about him published in the Tampa Bay Times.