Richard C. Alvarez was an outstanding educator and US veteran

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Richard Cortez Alvarez was a longtime and outstanding educator in Southern California. He was also a veteran of the United States Army. Photo credit: Inland Daily Bulletin

Many longtime and outstanding educators have also served our country in the military. This is certainly the case with Richard Cortez Alvarez, a high school teacher who served in the United States Army.

Richard was born on Jan. 5, 1935, in Cucamonga, Southern California. He was the youngest child in a family of itinerant farmworkers. When he was growing up, Richard attended schools in Pomona, Southern California. As a student at Pomona High School, he met Laura Zeckendorf, whom he married in 1957. After his high school graduation, Richard served in the US Army. During the years he served, he completed a tour of duty in Korea.

Once he returned from Korea, Richard completed coursework at Mt. San Antonio College. He also studied at the University of LaVerne, and California State University at Fullerton (CsUF). It was at CSUF where he earned his Master’s degree in Fine Arts.

The former veteran inaugurated his career as an educator at Garey High School in Pomona. Later he devoted 25 years of his professional career to teaching at his alma mater, Mt. San Antonio College.

Sadly, Richard Cortez Alvarez passed away on Jan. 24, 2026, at his home in Pomona, California. He was 91 years old. To honor this Chalkboard Champion, a memorial scholarship has been established in his name.

VA teacher Clara Byrd Baker was also a civic leader and suffragist

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Clara Byrd Baker

Elementary school teacher Clara Byrd Baker of Virginia worked tirelessly to improve social conditions in her community as a civic leader and suffragist. Photo credit: Hampton University

There are many examples of talented classroom teachers who have worked tirelessly to improve social conditions in their community. One of these is Clara Byrd Baker, an elementary school teacher from Virginia who has earned a reputation as an outstanding civic leader and suffragette.

Clara was born on June 22, 1886, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her parents were Charles and Malvina Carey Byrd. As a young woman, Clara enrolled in Hampton Institute. She also attended Virginia State College for Negroes, now known as Virginia State College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education. She was only 16 years old at the time.

After earning her degree, Clara launched her career as an educator in 1902 when she accepted a position as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in James City County, Virginia. In 1920, she became a teacher at a public training school for African American students. Later, she joined the faculty at Bruton Heights School in Williamsburg. After a career in the classroom that spanned an amazing 50 years, Clara retired in 1952.

Throughout her life, even during the years she taught school, Clara served as a leader in Williamsburg’s African American community. She worked to expand educational opportunities for students, to improve inter-racial relations, and to secure the vote for women. In fact, after the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, Clara became the first woman in Williamsburg to vote.

For her efforts, Clara earned numerous accolades. In 2007, she was honored by the Virginia State Library and Archives as an African American Trailblazer. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation recognized her achievements in 2011. The Virginia State University Alumni Association gave her a Meritorious Service Award and named her their Alumni of the Year. In 1989, a newly-built elementary school in Williamsburg was named in her honor.

Clara Baker Byrd passed away on October 20, 1979, at the age of 93. She is interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg.

ELEM teacher Shelly Teel named finalist for 2026 Florida State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Shelly Teel has been named a finalist for 2026 Florida State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Florida Department of Education

Many exceptional educators work with young people in American schools, and occasionally one of them is singled out for special recognition. One of these is Shelly Teel, an elementary school teacher from Florida. She has been named one of five finalists for her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Florida State Department of Education.

Shelly teaches third graders at Westside Elementary School in Columbia County, where she grew up. She is known for her use of holistic and inclusive teaching practices, building strong student-teacher relationships, and a strong sense of community.

“I use small groups to drive everything that I do,” reveals Shelly, “so if I teach it whole group, I’m re-teaching it in small group, and that gives me a chance to interact with my kids on every single standard,” she continues. Shelly also provides after-school tutoring.

Shelley’s expertise as an educator and communicator is widely known. “Mrs. Teel possesses a remarkable ability to make learning both fun and engaging,” declares Columbia County School Superintendent Keith Couey. “She is a truly exceptional educator whose dedication, passion and ability to connect with students sets her apart,” he continues.

Shelly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from St. Leo University. She has also earned her certification in English for Speakers of Other Languages and she is certified in Reading.

The 2026 Florida Teacher of the Year state finalists were selected from nearly 175,000 public school teachers. The criteria used to select these exemplary teachers includes an outstanding ability to teach and communicate knowledge of the subject taught, professional learning, and outstanding school and community service. The winner will serve for one year as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education.

 

Teacher Julia McCabe elected to the Maine House of Reps

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High school teacher Julia McCabe has been elected to serve in the Maine House of Representatives.  Photo credit: Maine House of Representatives

Many professional educators have also been elected to serve their communities in political office. One of these is Julia McCabe, a secondary public school teacher who also serves in the Maine House of Representatives.

Julia earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bates College in Lewiston in 2012. She earned her Master’s degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2020.

After earning her degrees, Julia inaugurated her career as a teacher at the high school level in her home city of Lewiston. She has taught in public schools in there for the past 12 years. She also volunteers as a youth sports coach.

In 2024, Julia was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent District 93 in the Maine State House of Representatives. She was sworn in to office on Dec. 3, 2024, and her term will conclude on Dec. 1, 2026. In the Maine House, she serves as a member of the Health and Human Services Committee and on the Leaves of Absence Committee. In addition, Julia has served her community as a member of the Recycling and Waste Management Committee for the City of Lewiston.

In the short time that Julia has already served in the Maine House, she has supported a number of bills intended to improve conditions for young people and teachers in her state. One of these bills promotes the widespread voter registration of high school students; another decreases the retirement contributions required for teachers and state employees; and a third is an act to sustain access to children’s residential care services. She also supports increasing opportunities for vocational education for young people, free tuition for Maine’s community college students, and the expansion of work force training programs for adult learners.

 

 

Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist Anna Julia Cooper

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Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist Anna Julia Cooper, born into slavery, was one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. Photo credit: www.blackpast.com.

There are many talented educators who have dedicated themselves to social causes. One of these was Anna Julia Cooper, an African American teacher who was also an abolitionist, activist, and suffragist.

Anna was born into slavery in Raleigh, North Carolina, circa 1858. As a young child, she developed an intense love of learning, even though teaching literacy skills to African Americans were forbidden until after the Civil War. Because of her love of learning, Anna decided to become a teacher. In 1868, when she was only nine years old, Anna garnered a scholarship to St. Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute. The school, now known as St. Augustine’s College, was founded by the local Episcopal Diocese to train teachers to educate former slaves and their families. During her years at St. Augustine’s, Anna earned a reputation as a bright and ambitious student.

In 1879, Anna enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio. There she earned her degree in Mathematics in 1884. She was one of the first African American women to earn a degree at the school. After her graduation, Anna returned to Raleigh where she taught math, Greek, and Latin at St. Augustine’s. In 1887, she moved  to Washington, DC, to teach math and science at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. Later the school was known as the M Street School, and today the institution is called Dunbar High School. The school is the largest and most prestigious public high school for African Americans in the country. During the years she taught at the M Street School, Anna delivered many speeches calling for civil rights and women’s rights and she published A Voice from the South, a well-known book on the subject.

A lifelong learner, Anna studied French literature and history for several years before enrolling at Columbia University in 1914. There she pursued her Ph.D. At the time, she was also teaching full time. In 1924, Anna continued her studies at the University of Paris at the Sorbonne in France. In 1925 she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, which explored the attitudes of the French people toward slavery during the late 18th century in France and Haiti. With this accomplishment, she was only the fourth African American woman in the US to earn a doctorate and the first Black woman from any country to do so at the Sorbonne.

To learn more about this amazing educator, click on this link for Rutgers.