Mary Edly-Allen, an English as a Second Language teacher from Illinois, also served in her state’s House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Mary Edly-Allen

Many fine educators have also shown expertise in the political field. One of them is Mary Edly-Allen, a teacher from Illinois who has also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

When Mary decided to become an educator, she was following the lead of a good role model. Her mother was an educator. Her father was a maintenance worker and Korean War Navy veteran. As a young woman, Mary earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Northeastern Illinois University in 1993 and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with Bilingual Certification from National Louis University in 2017.

For the past 17 years, Mary has worked as an English Second Language teacher in the Grayslake Public School District, working primarily with young children of immigrant families. In addition, she is the co-founder of an educational non-profit, Foundation46, and she is a founding member of the Community Consolidated School District 46 Diversity Committee. Furthermore, Mary has been involved for many years with Illinois Science Olympiad as a coach, and she serves on its Board of Directors. She is active in many Lake County community organizations.

In 2018, Mary was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Illinois State House of Representatives. There she represented the 51st District from 2019 to 2021. While in the House, she was a member of the committees for Elementary & Secondary Education School Curriculum Policies; Adoption & Child Welfare;  Mental Health; Human Services; State Government Administration; and Energy & Environment. During her years in the legislature, Mary worked to restore vocational and technical education courses in high schools. She was also a champion for diverse communities.