Category Archives: Education

English teacher Walter Downing: A former pro basketball player

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Walter Downing

High school English teacher and former professional basketball player Walter Downing of Illinois

I enjoy sharing stories about terrific educators who came to the teaching profession after enjoying success in other careers. One story like this is that of Walter Downing, a high school English teacher who was once a professional basketball player.

Walter was raised in a solid home environment with strict parents. As a teenager, he attended Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois. Even then, his prowess as an athlete was evident. He led his high school basketball team to a third place finish in 1978 and to a state championship in 1979. In ten state tournament games, Walter scored 184 points and grabbed 80 rebounds. However, he was best known as a shot-blocker. In a 1978 state quarter-final playoff game against Ottawa Marquette, he rejected a record 12 shots. His talent was so impressive that the year he was a senior, Walter was named “Mr. Basketball,” an honor given each year to the top high school player in Illinois. But Walter was the first-ever recipient of the title.

After his high school graduation, Walter enrolled first at DePaul University in Chicago, but later transferred to Marquette University, whee he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and Rhetoric in 1986. Marquette is a private, co-educational Catholic University located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Walter earned his Master’s degree in Education from Lewis University in 2006. Lewis is a private Roman Catholic university located in Romeoville, Illinois.

As a college graduate, Walter was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the sixth round of the NBA draft in 1986, but after he was cut by the Lakers, he went to Europe to play pro basketball there for four years.

After hanging up his athletic shoes, Walter accepted a position as a high school English at Hinsdale South, located in a southwest suburb of Chicago. It’s not a career he envisioned for himself when he was younger. “I definitely took the scenic route,” he once admitted. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would become a high school English teacher, but I’ve been here now for 20 years, and it’s been wonderful. I love being able to have a positive impact on kids,” he concluded.

The remarkable Nell Choate Jones: Kindergarten teacher and artist extraordinaire

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Nell Choate Jones

The remarkable Nell Choate Jones, kindergarten teacher and celebrated artist.

I enjoy telling stories about accomplished educators who, in addition to their classroom successes, earn recognition in fields outside of the classroom. One such story is that of Georgia native Nell Choate Jones, a kindergarten teacher who was also an artist extraordinaire.

Nell was born on May 27, 1879, in Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia. Her father served as a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. When Nell was only four years old her father died, and her widowed mother moved the family to the fashionable Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York. There Nell was educated at Adelphi Academy. When she grew to womanhood, Nell taught kindergarten and elementary school in the New York public school system for many years.

When Nell was in her early 40’s, her husband, who was also an artist, encouraged her to study art formally. Her efforts were so appreciated that she won a scholarship to study at the Fontainebleau School for Fine Arts in France. She later studied in England as well.

In 1936 Nell returned to the United States to attend the funeral of her sister in Georgia. While there, she became inspired to paint scenes of the American South. Her paintings often captured the beautiful rural landscape of her native state. She also enjoyed depicting the leisure activities of African Americans in her work. Her artistic style is characterized by simple forms, rhythmic designs, and vibrant colors.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Nell’s work was exhibited all over North America, and also in France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, and Japan. Today, her paintings can be found in many museums, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC; the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia; and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, Nell has won many awards. She garnered an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York in 1972, and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1979.

Sadly, the former kindergarten teacher and celebrated artist passed away in Brooklyn on April 15, 1981. She was 101 years old. After her death, her ashes were scattered in the Georgia clay of the Hawkinsville city cemetery. To learn more about this remarkable chalkboard champion, see her entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

Nell Choate Jones

Georgia Red Clay, perhaps the best-known work of artist Nell Choate Jones.

Educator Dr. Rebecca Palacios: A 2014 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Rebecca Palacios

Early childhood educator Dr. Rebecca Palacios, in 2014, when she was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Our nation’s schools are fortunate to enjoy the limitless talent and dedication of many remarkable Latino teachers. One of these is Dr. Rebecca Palacios, an early education teacher from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Rebecca has long been recognized as a champion for better education for Latino students. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, she learned about American discrimination against Latinos first-hand. Her father, a World War II veteran who worked for the public park service in Texas, often spoke to her about the discrimination faced by Latinos in America. He talked about not being able to eat in segregated restaurants or use segregated water fountains. He shared stories of rules that forbade him from speaking Spanish in school.

Despite the obstacles faced by Latinos in America, Rebecca excelled in school. In fact, she was the first in her family to pursue a higher education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1975 in Early Childhood Education from the University of Texas, Austin. The following year she earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M, Corpus Christi. In 1996, she completed the requirements for her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas, Austin.

Following her college graduation, Rebecca taught elementary school in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. There she taught Caucasian and Latino students in kindergarten, first grade, and third grade, first at Lamar Elementary and then at Zavala Elementary. Throughout her long and distinguished career, she became one of the most outspoken proponents of improved educational opportunities for Latino students. She also became one of the most celebrated early childhood educators in the country.

Rebecca’s career in Corpus Christi’ schools spanned more than 33 years. Following her retirement in 2010, she continued to work as a consultant for the district by mentoring other teachers. For her many contributions to the field of education, this chalkboard champion was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) in Emporia, Kansas, in 2014. To learn more about Rebecca, read this post at NTHF.

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

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Hercules Mooney

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

There are many examples of classroom teachers who serve our country as veterans. This is true of the chalkboard hero Hercules Mooney, who served in the American military during both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

Hercules was born in 1715 in Ballaghmoor, Kings County, Ireland. As a young man in Ireland, he found work as a tutor. In 1733, Hercules emigrated to the United States, and settled in Dover, New Hampshire. There he inaugurated his career as a full-fledged teacher. He worked there for about 17 years, and then, after 1750, he found a teaching position in the nearby town of Durham.

When the French and Indian War broke out in 1757, the intrepid teacher joined the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment. He was given the rank of captain. During this war, Hercules fought at the Siege of Fort William Henry, a battle that unfortunately resulted in resounding defeat. When the war was over, Hercules returned to his teaching post in Durham. In addition to his teaching duties, he was elected a town selectman in 1765.

When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, Hercules was ready once again to serve his newly-formed country. He was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He served in Long’s regiment and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign. In June, 1779, he was given command of his own regiment of the New Hampshire Militia. This regiment was given orders to go to Rhode Island to keep watch on the British Army at Newport.

At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Hercules moved to Holderness, Grafton County, New Hampshire, where he continued his duties as a teacher and also served as a justice of the peace.

This chalkboard hero passed away at his home in April, 1800. He was 89 years old.

Jordan A. Harris: The high school teacher who was elected to Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives

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Jordan A. Harris

Philadelphia’s Jordan A. Harris, former high school languages teacher, now serves in his state’s House of Representatives.

Often accomplished classroom teachers make excellent politicians. One of these is Jordan A. Harris, a Philadelphia school teacher who currently serves in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.

Jordan graduation from Philadelphia’s John Bartram Motivation High School in 2002. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Governmental and Political Affairs from Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania, in 2006. He earned his Master’s Degree in Education from Cabrini College in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, in 2008. He has also done work towards his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania.

Jordan taught school for several years in the Philadelphia Public Schools.  He was employed as a languages teacher at Union Area High School located in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. While there, he was instrumental in designing Slam Dunk, a summer program that assisted over 600 high school students to meet credit requirements for graduation.

In 2013, Jordan was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He represents the 186th District. For the 2017-2018 legislative session, he was elected to the Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He is also part of the Career & Technical Education Caucus, the Community College Caucus, and the Early Childhood Education Caucus.

In his effort to serve young people, Jordan has worked as the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Youth Commission, where he used his influence to improve conditions for  the city’s youth and young adults. In this office, Jordan was able to extend the hours of the city’s recreation centers and create alternative activities. In addition, Jordan has served as the President of the Board of Directors at Lincoln Day Educational Center, the oldest continuously operating African American Day School in the country. And he has  served as a Member of the Board of the Hardy Williams Education Fund and the Christian Street YMCA.

For his efforts, the former classroom teacher has won many accolades. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Magazine. He was also honored with Odunde 365’s 2017 Community Service Award for Positively Impacting Lives.