Former Connecticut teacher Jahana Hayes now serves in the US House of Reps

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Former Social Studies teacher Jahana Hayes of Connecticut now serves in the US House of Representatives. Photo Credit: US Home of Representatives

Many talented educators have gone from the classroom into successful careers in politics. One of these is Johana Hayes, a former high school Social Studies teacher from Connecticut who currently represents her state in the US House of Representatives.

Jahana was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on March 8, 1973. Because her mother was a drug addict, she was raised by her grandmother, and they lived in public housing projects in Waterbury. Even though Jahana became a teen mother at age 17, she overcame her obstacles and worked hard in school. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Southern Connecticut State and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Saint Joseph. In 2014, she earned her Sixth-Year Certificate from the University of Bridgeport School of Education. In 2015, she earned her certification in Intermediate Administration or Supervision from the State of Connecticut.

After earning her degree, Jahana accepted her first teaching position at Southbury Training School in Connecticut. Later she relocated to John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, where she taught Government and History. There she also served as the co-adviser of HOPE, a student service club and as the Chairperson of the Kennedy SOAR Review Board, a program for gifted students.

Jahana’s hard work in the classroom did not go unnoticed. In 2015, she garnered the John F. Kennedy Teacher of the Year award, and then the Waterbury School District Educator of the Year honors. In 2016, the teacher with the dazzling smile was named the state of Connecticut Teacher of the Year. That same year, President Obama recognized her as the US Department of Education’s National Teacher of the Year.

In 2018, Johana entered politics when she was elected to the US House of Representatives representing her state’s 5th Congressional District. She was re-elected in both 2020 and 2022. There she serves as the Chair on the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations; and she also serves on the Committee on Education and Labor; the Committee on Agriculture; the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education; and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services. She is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Even though Jahana is a working US Representative, she is still a member of the National Education Association, and as a big supporter of labor unions, she is a former member of the Service Employees International Union 1199.

Teacher Krystal Colbert named Iowa’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Krystal Colbert named Iowa’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Des Moines register

It is always a pleasure for me to share the stories of exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. One of these is Krystal Colbert, an elementary school teacher from Mitchellville, Iowa, who has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Krystal teaches second graders at Mitchellville Elementary School in the Southeast Polk Community School District. She inaugurated her teaching career at Ballard West Elementary, but she has spent the past 14 years teaching for the Southeast Polk School District. Her career as an educator spans a total of 16 years.

In her classroom, Krystal says she places her greatest emphasis on the importance of building a positive and caring classroom community where all students feel loved, respected, and valued. She is passionate about student-centered learning and collaborative problem-solving. And she believes in the power of instilling a growth mindset in all of her students, helping them to consider challenges and obstacles as opportunities for growth and success. “Life is really hard for children and school can be hard as well,” asserts Krystal. “So I think it’s really important that we teach them that they can do hard things, they can face those challenges, they can step out of their comfort zone and they can achieve greatness when they do not let the fear of failure or the fear of making mistakes get in their way,” she continued.

Within her district, Krystal serves as a Model Teacher and as a mentor teacher for her colleagues. She plans and implements professional development opportunities as a member of the Teacher Leadership Committee. As a mentor teacher, she also works closely with student teachers who are pursuing a degree in education. As if all this were not enough, she also serves as a member of the 7 Habits Lighthouse Team, where she organizes and implements professional learning opportunities for her co-workers.

Krystal earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Viterbo University.

Best-selling author Stephen King was once a high school English teacher

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Best-selling author Stephen King was once a high school English teacher. Here he is in his classroom in Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine, in 1973. Photo Credit: Reddit

Most people are very familiar with the popular novels and short stories of talented horror fiction writer Stephen King, but did you know he was once a high school teacher?

Stephen was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine. His father was a merchant seaman, and his mother was a kitchen worker in a facility for the developmentally handicapped. When Stephen was only two years old, his father abandoned the family, and after that his mother struggled to support herself, Stephen, and Stephen’s older brother, David.

When he was young, Stephen attended Durham Elementary School, and then Lisbon Falls High School in Lisbon Falls, Maine, where he graduated in 1966. Even as a child, Stephen displayed an interest in horror fiction. He was an avid reader of EC’s horror comics, which included the stories of Tales from the Crypt.  He began writing for his own amusement, contributing articles to Dave’s Rag, a home-based newspaper his brother published with a mimeograph machine. Later he began selling stories to his classmates based on movies he had seen, though he was forced to return his profits when his teachers discovered the enterprise. The first of Stephen’s stories to be independently published was “I Was a Teenage Grave Robber,” published in a popular fanzine in 1965.

Following Stephen’s graduation from high school in 1966, he enrolled as a student at the University of Maine, Orono, declaring a major in English. During his college years, he wrote a column for the student newspaper, The Maine Campus, entitled “Steve King’s Garbage Truck,” participated in writing workshops, and took odd jobs to help meet his living expenses, including one stint at an industrial laundry.  He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He sold his first professional short story, “The Glass Floor,” to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967.

After graduating from the University of Maine in 1970, Stephen earned his high school teaching credential, but was unable to find a teaching position right away. To earn a living, he sold short stories to men’s magazines such as Cavalier. In 1971, Stephen was hired to teach at Hampden Academy, a public high school in Hampden, Maine. He continued to contribute short stories to magazines and worked on ideas for novels. After his novel Carrie was published, Stephen left his job as a high school teacher to write full time, but he continued his career as an educator when he was hired as a professor of creative writing at the University of Maine, Orono.

Today, at age 75, Stephen King lives in Bangor, Maine. His wife, Tabitha King, is also a successful author. Stephen and Tabitha provide scholarships for local high school students and  contribute to many other local and national charities.

Welcome, Earth Day!

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Welcome, Earth Day! Today marks the 53rd anniversary of the first observance of this popular non-secular holiday. This year’s Earth Day theme is Invest in Our Planet.

As an educator, you have the opportunity to spark a passion in students that will drive them to do their part. Young people can, and do, make a big difference in helping to protect the earth’s environment. Whatever Earth Day activities you have decided to organize for your students, know that your hard work researching and planning is appreciated!

 

Governor Michael Dunleavy of Alaska was once a history teacher

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Former high school History teacher Michael Dunleavy currently serves as the Governor of the state of Alaska. Photo Credit: The Hill

Many excellent educators also go on to successful careers in politics. One example of this is Michael Dunleavy, a history teacher from Juneau, Alaska, who currently serves as the Governor of the state.

Michael was born on May 5, 1961, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Once he graduated from Scranton Central High School in 1979, he enrolled at Misericordia University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1983. He completed the requirements for his Master’s degree in Education and his teaching credential from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1991.

Michael was working at a logging camp on Prince Wales Island in southeast Alaska when he accepted a position to teach within the Arctic Circle in the northwest part of the state. He invested nearly 20 years there working as a teacher, principal, and school superintendent. He also served a stint as the Director of K-12 Outreach through the University of Alaska Statewide. And he is the former Program Manager of the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project.

While working in the north, Michael married Rose Newlin, a Native American of Inupiaq heritage who was born and raised in the small community of Noorvik in Alaska’s Kabuk River Valley. In fact, the population there is only 700 people. Together, the couple have three children.

In 2004, Michael and his family relocated to Wasilla, where he founded an educational consulting firm and worked on several statewide educational projects. He also served on the the School Board for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, including a two-year stint as the organization’s president.

In 2012, Michael was elected to the Alaska State Senate on the Republican ticket, and served there from 2013 to 2018. While in the Senate, he served on the committees for  Education; Judiciary; Transportation; and Finance. He also served as the Chair of the Educational Transition Team, and he was member of the Subcommittees for Education and Early Development; Fish and Game; Administration; and Law.

Next, Michael was elected the Governor of Alaska in 2018. In 2022 he was re-elected to the office, and he continues to serve in that role. During his terms, he has placed focus on effective pandemic response, fiscal responsibility, crime prevention, and the energy issues that are particular to the state.