Category Archives: Education

Melissa Salguero garners 2018 Grammy Music Educator Award

Posted on by

Here’s a truly inspirational story about elementary music teacher Melissa Salguero, who has just been honored as the winner of the 2018 Grammy Music Educator Award. Melissa inaugurated her career as an educator in south Florida before transferring to the Bronx to teach at PS 48. The students at PS 48 are among the poorest in the city, with most kids coming from a home that has an annual income of less than $25,000 per year and a homeless student population of 22%. When Melissa first started teaching at the school, there was no school song, no instruments, and no school mascot. Nevertheless, she rolled up her sleeves and dedicated her abundant talent and energy to re-launch a music program that had been disbanded 30 years ago. “I feel I was born to teach at this school,” says Melissa. For more, watch this video of this amazing chalkboard champion as she is interviewed by Michelle Miller of CBS news.

Mary Elizabeth Post: Pioneer teacher in the Arizona Territory

Posted on by

I enjoy sharing stories about talented and daring teachers who were also pioneers. One such teacher was Mary Elizabeth Post, one of the first teachers to work in the Territory of Arizona. In fact, Mary was only the fifth teacher in Arizona.

Mary was born on June 17, 1841, in Elizabethtown, New York. Her father was a carpenter, but he instilled a strong love of learning in his seven children. As a youngster, Mary attended Burlingtron Female Seminary. She was so proficient in her studies that she was landed her first teaching position in 1856, when she was only 15 years old.

In 1872, Mary traveled to the Arizona Territory by stage coach. The trip was rugged, and conditions in her new environment were rough. She established her school in a building that had formerly served as a saloon. Her lessons were sometimes interrupted by thirsty cowboys looking for an alcoholic drink.

Mary soon discovered, to her dismay, that regular attendance at school was not valued by either the students or their parents. Often the intrepid teacher felt forced to track down the truants and virtually drag them back to the school, much to the disgruntlement of their parents. To overcome the hard feelings, Mary ordered a collection of sewing patterns and taught the mothers how to sew new clothes for their children. The mothers were delighted with how fashionable their children looked, and, before long, Mary saw a marked improvement in her daily attendance. It didn’t take long for the dedicated educator to become an integral part of the lives of her students and their families, almost all of Mexican heritage. She was often invited to their family events and celebrations. “I was in love with my work, Mary once expressed. “I think I was born to be a teacher.”

In addition to her untiring work in the classroom, Mary was active in local women’s organizations, and she was an outspoken proponent of the women’s suffrage movement. Mary retired from teaching in 1912, at the age of 72. She became the first recipient of the Arizona state teachers’ retirement fund. Her pension was $50 a month. In 1918, this chalkboard champion and pioneer was awarded an honorary master’s degree from the University of Arizona in recognition of her humanitarian work in predominantly Spanish-speaking communities.

Mary Elizabeth Post passed away from natural causes in 1934. She was 93 years old. You can read more about this amazing educator at tucson.com in the article Western Movement: Mary Elizabeth Post.

Rod Paige: from classroom teacher to US Superintendent of Schools

Posted on by

I love to share stories about talented educators who have also served successfully in the political arena. Today’s story is about Rod Paige, the first African American to serve as the US Secretary of Education.

Rod was born Roderick Raynor Paige on June 17, 1933 in Monticello, Mississippi, the oldest of five children. His father, Raynor Paige, was a public school principal, and his mother, Sophie Paige, was a public school librarian. After his high school graduation in 1951, Rod earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned both his master’s (1962) and doctorate degrees (1980) from Indiana University at Bloomington. Rod is also a veteran, having served as a medical corpsman in the US Navy from 1955-1957.

After completing his military service, Rod accepted his first teaching position when he went to work as a health and physical education teacher at Hinds Agriculture High School in Utica, Mississippi. He taught there and coached football from 1957-1963. From 1971 to 1984, Rod served as the head coach and athletic director for Texas Southern University.

In 1980, Rod accepted a position as a professor at Texas Southern University, where he taught until 1984. While there, he became the Dean of the College of Education, a position he held until 1994. During this time, probably his greatest achievement was the establishment of the university’s Center for Excellence in Urban Education, a research facility focusing on issues related to instruction and management in urban school systems. During this time, Inside Houston Magazine named the former classroom teacher as one of “Houston’s 25 most powerful people” in guiding the city’s growth and prosperity. In 2001, Rod was honored as National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Rod’s next job was as the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in 1994. While there, Rod earned a reputation for outstanding leadership skills and innovative reforms. His professional goals were to focus on best instructional strategies, accountability at all levels, and developing of a core curriculum. Next, Rod returned to Texas Southern University, where he served as the Dean of the College of Education.

In 2001, Rod was named by President George W. Bush to be the seventh US Secretary of Education, a post he held until 2005. The major push in education during Rod’s tenure was the controversial No Child Left Behind legislation.

After leaving the Education Department, Rod became a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he helped fashion public policy. Recently, Rod has served as the interim president of his alma mater, Jackson State University in Mississippi.

To read more about this chalkboard champion, you can read Rod’s biography at the US Department of Education.

Marzell’s Books Added to Collections of Prestigious University Libraries

Posted on by

I’m always so flattered whenever I learn that one of my books has been added to the collection of yet another prestigious university library. Today I discovered that my first book, Chalkboard Champions (2012), was recently added to the collection of the University of Arizona, Tucson, and Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. The volume had previously been added to the libraries of Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota; the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; the State University of New York in Oswego, New York; Hunter College in New York, New York; Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts; and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. It is also part of the collection of the Library of Congress.

Chalkboard Heroes (2015) has been added to the collections of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California; Chadron State University in Chadron, Nebraska; the University of Sourthern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and the University of Chicago Library in Chicago, Illinois.

Many thanks to all these university libraries for honoring my work!

 

Baltimore’s Chalkboard Champion Wyatt Oroke

Posted on by

Any teacher who needs a reminder about why we do the work we do can take a look at this video of middle school teacher Wyatt Oroke from Baltimore, Maryland. This chalkboard champion teaches humanities to eighth graders at City Springs Middle School. Wyatt attended a taping of the Ellen Degeneres show last October, where he was surprised to find himself seated in the interview chair. He shared his passion for teaching, expressed his love for his students, and described his goals for their success. “What happens in classrooms today impacts what happens in the world tomorrow,” says Wyatt. “If you fill your classroom with love today, you’re going to fill the world with love tomorrow.” Take a look:

To read more about this amazing educator and his students, click on this article published in Education Post, Wyatt Oroke 1, or this one in the Baltimore Sun: Wyatt Oroke 2.