Category Archives: Education

Rodney Robinson: Virginia’s 2019 Teacher of the Year

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In our country, we are so fortunate that there are many exceptional and inspirational educators in our schools. One of these is Rodney Robinson, a history teacher at Virgie Binford Education Center in Richmond, Virginia. Rodney has been named the 2019 Virginia Teacher of the Year.

Rodney has taught in Richmond Public Schools for 19 years, the last four years at Virgie Binford Binford is a school inside of the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center. Rodney once revealed that he became a teacher to honor his mother, who struggled to earn an education after being denied schooling as a child due to segregation and poverty in rural Virginia. 

For his work with juvenile offenders, Rodney has earned many accolades. In addition to the Virginia Teacher of the Year honor, he garnered  the REB Award for Teaching Excellence. He is a member of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s Education Compact Team, which includes politicians, educators, business leaders, and community leaders, and is working with city leaders and local colleges to recruit under-represented male teachers into the field of education. He has also worked with Pulitzer Award winning author James Foreman on developing curriculum units on race, class, and punishment as a part of the Yale Teacher’s Institute.

Rodney says he is very grateful for the recognition. “I want to thank my students,” Rodney said when he accepted the award, “My students are the most vulnerable kids in society. They have succumbed to the pressure of urban living and made mistakes that they are paying for, but they still persevere and strive for success,” he expressed. “They are my inspiration, and I will fight to my last heart beat for them.”

Rodney earned his Bachelor’s degree in History and his Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision, both from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Teacher Janet Do of Oregon garners a 2018 Milken Award

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Janet Do

First grade teacher Janet Do of Whitman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, garners a Milken Educator Award in 2018.

Our nation’s schools are very fortunate to enjoy the benefit of talented educators. One of these is Janet Do, a first grade teacher at Whitman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. In 2018, Janet was honored with a Milken Educator Award.

The daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Janet graduated from Portland’s Benson High School in 2007. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Letters in 2012, and her Master’s degree in Education in 2013, both from Portland State University.

One of Janet’s strengths is building community. She forms strong, genuine relationships with her students, helps all her kids set and reach attainable goals, and is quick to advocate for children with special needs. She incorporates brain science and mindfulness techniques into her instructional program, and the results are measurable. More than 70% of her class demonstrated an increase of 1.5 years’ growth in reading last year, though only two of her 21 students began the year reading at grade level.

Janet’s school serves an area with many transient families, so Janet welcomes new students into her classroom throughout the year, quickly making them and their families feel at home. Janet speaks Vietnamese and was instrumental in planning Whitman’s first Multicultural Night, where she set up a booth to share Asian cultural activities.

In 2018 Janet earned a Milken Educator Award. She is the only teacher in Oregon and one of just 40 nationwide chosen to receive the honor in 2018. The Milken Educator Awards has been described by Teacher magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” The award has been used to honor exceptional educators for over 30 years. Milken Educators are selected in early to mid-career for what they have achieved to date, and for the promise of what they will accomplish as they continue through their careers. In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 top teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education.

Stuart W. Hunt, Sr.: Gifted teacher, coach, veteran, businessman, and politician

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Stuart Hunt

Stuart W. Hunt, Sr.: Gifted teacher, coach, military veteran, businessman, and politician.

There are many examples of fine classroom teachers who have a made a name for themselves in arenas outside of education. This is true of Stuart W. Hunt, Sr.,a  high school teacher and coach who also served as a legislator for his home state of Vermont.

Stuart Hunt was born in Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont, on April 28, 1927. As a young man, he attended Brattleboro High School, where he excelled in sports. When he graduated in 1945, he was honored with the Stolte Memorial Cup, given to the best all-around athlete.

Because World War II was in full swing in 1945, immediately after his graduation, Stuart enlisted in the military. Throughout the war, he served in the US Army Air Forces.

When the war ended, Stuart earned his Bachelor’s degree from Arnold College, now known as the University of Bridgeport, located in Connecticut. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1952. Once he earned his degree, Stuart settled in Guilford, Vermont, and accepted a position as a physical education teacher at his alma mater, Brattleboro High School. He also coached football and basketball there. In addition to coaching, Stuart was instrumental in starting the Auto Mechanics Training Program at the Vocational Center at the high school, and he was one of the founders of the Brattleboro Little League Post 5 program.

In addition to his classroom and coaching responsibilities, Stuart worked in the real estate and insurance fields. Also, he was very active in town and state government, serving as a selectman, a trustee of the Guilford Fire Department, a trustee of the Guilford Fair Association, a Justice of the Peace, and a Member of the Board of Civil Authority. As if all this were not enough, Stuart was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives on the Republican ticket. He also served in the Vermont State Senate.

This gifted teacher, coach, military veteran, businessman, and politician passed away of natural causes in Vernon, Vermont, on December 9, 2014. He was 87 years old.

Lindsay Reynolds, Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff, is a former school teacher

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Lindsay Reynolds

Lindsay Reynolds, Chief of Staff for First Lady Melania Trump, is a former third grade school teacher.

Many times an excellent educator may find a second career in politics, and on occasion this career may even lead to the White House. This is true of Lindsay Reynolds, a former third grade teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, who is currently serving as the Chief of Staff for First Lady Melania Trump.

Before her appointment to her current position in 2017, Lindsay served as the Associate Director of the White House Visitors Office under President George W. Bush. She had been in that position since 2004. It was the former educator’s 14 years of experience in political fundraising, event management, and logistical expertise that makes her a great choice for Chief of Staff.

Lindsay’s foray into politics is an outgrowth of her experimentation as an event planner. As the story goes, she was on summer vacation from her job as a third grade teacher at St. Vivian School in Finneytown, Ohio, when her in-laws asked if she would help plan a little get together at their house. The get-together turned out to be a fundraiser for former First Lady Laura Bush. The party was a smash, and before long President and Laura Bush were scheduling so many events for Lindsay that she had to take a leave of absence from her classroom. The rest is, as they say, Washington DC history.

Teacher of English and Drama Jill Novick is a former actress

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Jill Novick

Teacher of English and Drama Jill Novick was formerly an actress

Many talented classroom teachers have also made a mark in fields other than education. This is certainly true of Jill Novick, a high school English teacher who is also a gifted actress.

Jill was born on January 20, 1966, in Westchester County, New York. She attended Mamaroneck High School in Mamaroneck, New York, where she graduated in 1984. Jill began acting when she was a child, and while still in high school participated in a program entitled the Performing Arts Curriculum Experience. While in the program, she performed in over 20 plays and musicals. At the age of 17, the young actress was accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Jill’s career as an actress spanned 20 years. During this time, she garnered roles in a number of commercials, but she is probably best known for her part as Tracy Gaylian in the 1996-1997 season of the hit series Beverly Hills, 90210. She also played the part of young Theodora Reed on the television series Sisters.

When Jill decided her Hollywood career was concluded, she returned to college to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an educator. She spent two summers as a teacher and director for the Teenage Drama Workshop (TADW) at Cal State Northridge. TADW is an intense six-week summer program for teens. While working on her teaching credential, Jill taught drama for two summers at Panorama High School in Los Angeles. Once she earned her credential, she accepted a position as an English teacher at Culver City High School in Culver City, California, where she worked for six years. In 2012, she accepted a position as the Creative Director of Theatre for the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, a position she kept for five years

Currently, Jill is teaching English in Alburquerque, New Mexico. She is also working on her Master’s degree in Education at University of Northern Colorado.

Kudos, Jill Novick!