Dedicated band directors lead student musicians in Rose Parade

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One of my favorite events of the year is the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. And every year when I watch this parade on television, the dedication of our nation’s talented band directors amazes me. Here is Part 1 of a two-day series that features these accomplished music educators.

Rosemount High School Marching Band, Minnesota

One of the bands that appeared in the parade was the Rosemount High School Marching Band from Rosemount, Minnesota, under the direction of Leon Sieve. Leon joined the faculty of Rosemount High School in 2002. In all, his career as a music educator has spanned 30 years. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota in 1993. He earned his Master’s degree from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon in 2005. This is the second appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade for this group, the largest competitive marching band in the state of Minnesota.

Vista Ridge High School Ranger Marching Band, Texas

The Vista Ridge High School Ranger Marching Band from Cedar Park, Texas, also appeared under the leadership of Director of Bands Bryan Christian. Bryan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Abilene Christian University in 1989. He earned his Master’s degree in Conducting and Clarinet Performance in 1991. A music educator for many years, he started teaching at Vista Ridge High School in 2003. Under his leadership, the Vista Ridge Band has performed at the Midwest International Band Clinic, received the Sudler Shield, were the 2018 UIL 6A State Marching Band Champions, were a 2021 Bands of America Grand Nationals Finalist.

Wisconsin Northwoods Marching Band

The Wisconsin Northwoods Marching Band from Minocqua, Wisconsin, also appeared in the parade under the direction of Antigo High School Director of Bands Austin Kappel, Wausau East Band Director of Bands Rob Perkins, and six other band directors. This group is a composite band of eight high schools located across north central Wisconsin. Students represented by the group include Lakeland High School, Northland Pines High School, Three Lakes High School, Merrill High School, Antigo High School, Wausau East High School, DC Everest High School, and Mosinee High School.

Rockford High School Marching Band, Michigan

One of the bands that appeared in this year’s parade was the Rockford Marching Band from Rockford, Michigan, under the expert leadership of Brian Phillips, Director of Bands at Rockford Public Schools. This group, which has won the Michigan state championship four times, is the largest competitive band in the state of Michigan, with nearly 275 students participating. More than 40% of these band students are also athletes. This is possible because instead of making students choose between athletics and marching band, the Brian limits their extra-curricular rehearsals so students can successfully participate in both.

Former NYC English teacher Arlene Stringer was a trailblazer

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Former New York City English teacher Arlene Stringer was a trailblazer. She is pictured here reading to her grandson, Max. Photo credit New York Post

Many excellent classroom teachers have also served their communities as capable politicians. One of these was Arlene Stringer-Cuevas, a Jewish schoolteacher also served on the New York City Council.

Arlene was born Sept. 25, 1933. Her first husband was Ronald Stringer, an assistant to New York City Mayor Abraham Beame. When that marriage ended, Arlene raised her two boys in Washington Heights as a single mother. Once she earned her degrees, Arlene taught at a public school in the Bronx. She also instructed courses in English as a Second Language at the local Y.

Like many members of her family, Arlene expressed an interest in politics. She ran for and was elected as the District Leader for her Democratic Party, a trailblazing role she served in from 1969 to 1976. She was elected to the New York City Council, where she served from 1976 to 1977. In fact, she was the first woman to represent Washington Heights. “I used to follow her around to all her meetings,” remembers her son, Scott Stringer. “More than once, she was asked by some man in the room why she wasn’t home with her husband. In signature fashion, she’d respond, ‘I don’t have a husband,'” he continued. “And then she’d outsmart, out-humor, and simply outdo all of them—no matter what they were doing,” he concluded.  Later, Arlene worked for their New York City Human Resources Administration for 16 years, until her retirement in 1994.

In her final years, she was married to the former City Clerk and Deputy Bronx Borough President Carlos Cuevas. The two divided their time between New York City and Puerto Rico. Sadly, Arlene succumbed to Covid-19 on April 3, 2020. She was 86 years old. At the time of her passing, her son Scott Stringer was serving as New York City’s Comptroller.

LA elem teacher Stephanie Gullage garnered prestigious 2020 PAEMST

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Elementary school mathematics teacher Stephanie Gullage garnered a prestigious PAEMST in 2020. Photo credit: 4WWLTV

Many exceptional educators have earned recognition for their work. One of these is Stephanie Gullage, an elementary school teacher from Luling, Louisiana, who has garnered a prestigious 2020 PAEMST award.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, recognize the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Stephanie’s career as an educator has spanned 29 years. During that time, she has taught many subjects, primarily mathematics. For 11 years, she taught numerous subjects at Marrero Christian Academy. She taught sixth grade reading and mathematics for one year at McDonogh 32 Elementary School. She instructed courses in basic mathematics for one summer as an adjunct professor at Delgado Community College. She also taught Gifted/Academy English Language Arts and mathematics for 17 years at R.K. Smith Middle School.

While employed at Smith Middle, Stephanie completed stints as the Chair of the Mathematics Department, the Improving Student Learning cadre, and the School Improvement Team. In fact, she was teaching Gifted/Academy Mathematics at the time she garnered her PAEMST. In July 2020, Stephanie accepted a position as the Instructional Facilitator for Gifted, Talented, and the Arts for St. Charles Parish Schools, but still taught gifted enrichment in grades one, two, five, and Algebra 1 eLearning.

For her work in the classroom, Stephanie has earned many accolades. She was named the District Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2018, and in 2019, she was named an American Petroleum Institute Distinguished Teacher.  Stephanie has also presented at the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) conventions and participated in the “Digital Tools and Mathematical Modelling in Mathematics” Institute at the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in Elementary Education from Southern University in New Orleans. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Gifted and Talented from the University of New Orleans. She is currently working on her Ph.D. She has also earned her National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics.

Teacher Anthony Gonzales garners 2022 Humanities Texas Award

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History teacher Anthony Gonzales from San Antonio, Texas, has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. Photo Credit:

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Anthony Gonzales, a history teacher from San Antonio, Texas. He has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award from Humanities Texas.

Anthony has been teaching history John Marshall High School in the Northside Independent School District for the past nine years. During these years, he created and inaugurated the Mexican American Studies (MAS) course, which offers the students the opportunity to study their own experiences and discuss topics they feel may be overlooked in a traditional history class, explains Anthony. “MAS students improve their critical thinking, analytical, and leadership skills because the course provides the opportunity to explore ideas relatable to those students,” he continues. The course is so popular that it has been expanded to other high schools throughout the state.

In addition to the MAS course, Anthony also runs a popular after-school program, the Mexican American Studies Student Association (MASSA), an enrichment program which explores the literature, art, music, current events, and cultural events of the Mexican American community. The participants even participate in community service projects.

And as if all this were not enough, Anthony serves his school as the faculty advisor for the Academic Decathlon team. Under his expert leadership, Marshall High has garnered five regional championships and placed in the top three in state-level competition twice.

The Humanities Award includes $5,000 for the honoree and an additional $1,000 for his school to purchase instructional materials.