Former teacher Joyce Hearn served in the South Carolina House of Reps

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Former teacher Joyce Hearn served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Dignity Memorial

Many excellent educators have also served their communities as capable politicians. One of these was Joyce Hearn, a former teacher from South Carolina who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Joyce was born on June 16, 1929, in Cedartown, Georgia. As a young girl, she enrolled at the University of West Georgia and then at the University of Georgia. She completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree in Education at Ohio State University. Once she earned her degrees, Joyce taught at Eau Claire High School in Columbia, South Carolina.

In 1974, Joyce was elected on the Republican ticket to the South Carolina House of Representatives. There she represented District 76, which covered Richland County, from 1975 to 1990. In the legislature, Joyce was named Assistant Minority Leader from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1987 to 1989. In this position she worked tirelessly to protect the rights of crime victims. Her work to expand the prosecution of rape changed the way the South Carolina public views rape and gave extra prosecuting options to all victims of domestic violence. She introduced legislation that reformed workers compensation laws and improved the rights of the disabled.

While in the House, Joyce also founded the National Order of Women Legislators, which to this day provides a national forum for women’s networking across all state legislatures. In 1979, Gov. Edwards awarded her the Order of the Palmetto for her many contributions to South Carolina. She also garnered the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Distinguished Service Award in 1985.

Once her terms in the South Carolina House were over, Joyce embarked on a third career. She founded her own company, Hearn & Associates. She ran this company until her retirement in 2014. Additionally, she was active in many organizations, including the Boards of the Columbia Urban League, the Federation of the Blind, Columbia College, and the Columbia Museum.

Chalkboard Champion and politician Joyce Hearn passed away on Jan. 20, 2021, in Columbia. She was 91 years old. She is interred at Elmwood Memorial Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.

Riya Nathrani selected 2022 Teacher of the Year for CNMI

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Middle school teacher Dr. Riya Nathrani has been selected the 2022 Teacher of the Year for the American Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands. Photo Credit: Riya Nathrani

I am always eager to share information about exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Dr. Riya Nathrani, a middle school teacher who has been named the 2022 Teacher of the Year for the American Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Riya teaches career technology, computer literacy, automation, robotics to seventh graders at Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School in Afetna, Saipan. Her employment in CNMI public schools has spanned seven years.

In her classroom, Riya explores her passion for using digital tools and research-based practices to design lessons and activities. And she does this not only for her students, but also for her colleagues. She is a lead instructor for her district’s educational technology program, through which she showcases best practices for using technology and to enhance learning experiences for students.

In addition to her selection as Teacher of the Year, Riya earned the Education Technology Teacher of the Year award for supporting technology advancement in 2020. She also garnered the Environmental Champion Award for designing environmental conservation projects in collaboration with environmental nonprofit organizations.

A beneficiary of the DACA system, Riya was raised in the Northern Marianas and graduated from public schools there. After high school, she attended Northern Marianas College, where she was named the valedictorian of her class when she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Education. She earned her Master’s degree in International Teaching from Framingham State University in Massachusetts. In 2017, she was selected to participate in the Teacher Ranger Teacher program. The purpose of the program is to provide teachers an opportunity to learn about National Park Service educational resources and themes.

 

Teacher Abby Hemenway a pioneer in publishing

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Abby Hemenway, who once taught school in Michigan, earned acclaim as an author and pioneering publisher of local histories. Photo Credit: Public Domain

Abby Hemenway, a 19th-century educator in Michigan, earned acclaim as an author and pioneering publisher of local histories. Because of her efforts, the concept of history as a social science became universally accepted.

Abby was born on Oct. 7, 1828, in Ludlow, Vermont. After her graduation from Black River Academy, she relocated to Michigan in 1853, where she became a teacher. After teaching for three years, she returned to Vermont, where she explored an interest in writing and publishing. In 1858 the former teacher published a volume of poems written by Green Mountain State writers entitled Poets and Poetry of Vermont. The volume enjoyed so much success that Abby founded a new publication, the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, with the goal of publishing a local history for every city and hamlet in her state.

Before Abby’s day, the customary topics for publishing involved biographies of famous military and political men, and stories about the historical events in which they took part. Abby pioneered the practice of chronicling everyday activities of average citizens, rather than focusing only on prominent individuals and events. She published these stories in her Gazetteer.

After 30 years of hard work, six volumes of her Gazetteer were published, all between the years of 1860 and 1892. These volumes include local histories of 13 of the 14 counties in Vermont. The only county not included is Windsor County. The Gazetteer is still used today as the primary resource for 18th and 19th-century Vermont state history. The volumes include valuable information such as the names and terms of service for local office holders, genealogical information for early Caucasian residents, and the names and terms of service for local clergy.

Abby accomplished her goals in a period of time when women were expected to marry and raise families. In fact, she was frequently told that “history is not suitable work for a woman.” Nevertheless, she persevered, despite considerable adversity. Because of her pioneering efforts, the concept of history as a social science is now universally accepted.

Sadly, on Feb., 24, 1890, Abby Hemenway passed away in Chicago, Illinois, after suffering a stroke. She was 61 years old. This Chalkboard Champion’s story is explored more fully in a 2001 biography entitled The Passion of Abby Maria Hemenway by Deborah Picman Clifford.

 

Teacher Mary Edly-Allen also served in the Illinois State House of Reps

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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.