DC’s Sharon Ambrose: English teacher and politician

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High School English teacher Sharon Ambrose established herself as a distinguished political leader on the Council of the District of Columbia. Photo credit: The Washington Post.

Many hardworking educators leave the classroom to establish themselves in politics. One of these was Sharon Ambrose, a teacher from Illinois who went on to become a distinguished political leader on the Council of the District of Columbia.

Sharon was born on Sept. 3, 1939, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. In 1961, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Saint Xavier is a private Catholic women’s school. While in high school and college, Sharon was actively involved in forensics and public speaking. In fact, she met Mike Ambrose, the man she eventually married, at a forensics event. Following her graduation, Sharon worked as a high school English teacher and a PTA leader in Chicago for several years.

In 1964, Sharon’s husband accepted a job with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC, and the family relocated to that city. Almost immediately, Sharon launched herself into volunteer work for the presidential election, a supporter of Lyndon Johnson. She also became very involved with volunteering at the school her children attended, teaching an elementary after-school writing program and becoming president of the school’s PTA. Later she taught courses at the city’s Friendship House that helped individuals earn their GED, a high school equivalency program.

Sharon was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 6. She held this post from 1997 to 2007. When the former teacher took office, the city was struggling to recover from insolvency. Sharon became the Chair of the Council’s committee on economic development, opposing projects that she saw as unreasonably expensive. At the same time, she successfully lobbied for major developments in her ward, which includes Capitol Hill and the Southwest Waterfront and Navy Yard. She was largely responsible for persuading the Washington Nationals to locate their ballpark in a formerly industrial section of the waterfront.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Politician passed away on April 4, 2017, in Washington, DC. She was 77 years old. To learn more about this amazing educator and politician, see this interview published by the Capitol Hill History Project.

Missouri’s Kathryn Sansone: Former teacher, fitness trainer, and author

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Missouri’s Kathryn Sansone: Former teacher, fitness trainer, and author. Photo credit: Kathryn Sansone. Photo credit: Kathryn Sansone

Many fine classroom teachers also established themselves as successful businesspeople. One of these is Kathryn Demmas Sansone, an elementary school teacher in Missouri who also has a national following as a certified fitness trainer.

Kathryn was born on Jan. 1, 1962 in St. Louis, Missouri. As a young girl, she attended Clayton High School. Following her high school graduation in 1980, she attended first Texas Christin University at Fort Worth, and then St. Louis University. There she earned her degree win Elementary Education in 1985. She then taught fourth through sixth grade for four years at oak Hill/Villa Duchesne.

Kathryn captured national attention for her heartwarming and hands-on approach to managing motherhood and life. She is best known for being celebrated by Oprah Winfrey as an “unforgettable mom.” The former teacher went from being a member of the talk show host’s audience to being a featured guest on the television show. She was interviewed by Oprah for Mother’s Day 2003 in O, the Oprah Magazine. In addition, Kathryn has published a book, Woman First, Family Always, which became a top-1000 seller on amazon.com. A mother of ten, she has been interviewed for Inside Edition and magazines such as Parents, Fit Pregnancy, and Child. Furthermore, she has been honored as Chief Everything Officer by America Online. She also serves as a member of the President’s Physical Fitness Council and as a delegate of the Global Wellness Summit.

Chet Blalock: Teacher, veteran, and Montana State Senator

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Many talented educators have also made a name for themselves in the political arena. Such is the case for Chester Merle Blalock, better known as Chet Blaylock, a history teacher, veteran, and state senator from Montana.

Chet was born on Novembr 13, 1924, in Joliet, Montana. He served his country well as a member of the United States Navy during World War II. He earned four medals for his service in the South Pacific.

After the war, this heroic veteran earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1951 and his Master’s degree in Education in 1957, both from the University of Montana. He then worked as a teacher and school administrator for over 30 years in both Laurel and Chinook, Montana. He retired from the teaching profession in 1991.

During his long career as an educator, Chet served as a delegate to the Montana State Constitutional Convention in 1972, and as a member of the Montana State Senate from Laurel, Montana. He believed that every Montana child was entitled to a free, quality education, a livable environment, a good job, and affordable health care. He a spent a lifetime pursuing that objective.

In 1996, Chet became the nominee for governor of Montana. He ran on the Democratic ticket against incumbent Marc Racicot.  Sadly, on October 23, 1996, on his way to a debate with his opponent less than two weeks before the election, the former educator passed away of a heart attack at Deer Lodge, Montana. He was 71 years old. Chet Blalock was cremated and his ashes interred at Rockvale Cemetery in Rockvale, Montana. In his memory, a scholarship in the amount of $600 has been established to be awarded to a full-time student at Montana State University at Billings.

Kansas teacher Anna C. Wait worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage

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Many classroom teachers work diligently to improve social conditions in their community. One was Kansas teacher Anna C. Wait, who worked tirelessly to win the right to vote for women.  Photo credit: Public domain.

I have often noted that often excellent classroom teachers work diligently to improve social conditions in their community. One of these is Anna C. Wait, a 19th-century schoolteacher who also campaigned for the right to vote for women.

Anna was born on March 26, 1837, in Hinckley, Medina County, Ohio. She attended first the Richfield Academy and then the Twinsburg Institute. As a young woman, she married fellow educator Walter Scott, and the newlyweds moved to Missouri. The couple had a son there. When the Civil War broke out, Walter joined the Union’s 50th Volunteer Infantry, Company H. He served three years during some of the most fierce fighting of the War Between the States. During these years, Anna relocated to Ohio, where she taught school in order to support herself and her young son. When the war was won, the family reunited, and then moved first to Indiana and then to Kansas.

Once Anna settled in Kansas, she re-established her teaching career, eventually founding a normal school there to train others to become excellent teachers. She also became active in the Suffrage Movement. In 1879 Anna and fellow suffragists, Emily J. Briggs and Sarah E. Lutes, founded the local branch of the Equal Suffrage Association. In 1884 a Kansas Equal Suffrage Association was formed, and Anna served as the organization’s Vice President. In 1911 Anna was elected President of the Sixth District of the Equal Suffrage Association. Because of her efforts, legislation granting the right to vote to women was passed in the state of Kansas.

Anna C. Wait passed away on May 9, 1916, in Lincoln County, Kansas. She was 79 years old. For her tireless work as a suffragist, Anna was included in A Woman of the Century, by Charles Wells Moulton and published in 1893. To read more about this amazing pioneer teacher, see the reprint of a 1909 article printed by the Lincoln Republican.

Former teacher Rebecca Pringle serves as NEA President

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Former Pennsylvania middle school teacher and current President of the National Education Association Rebecca Pringle works tirelessly to improve conditions in schools for both teachers and students. Photo credit: NEA

A former Pennsylvania educator who now serves as the current President of the National Education Association works tirelessly to improve conditions in schools for both teachers and students. She is Rebecca Pringle, who has logged an extensive career as a middle school science teacher.

Rebecca was born in 1955 in Philadelphia.  As a young girl, she attended Philadelphia High School for girls, one of the city’s most prestigious magnet schools. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Once she completed her education, Rebecca taught middle school science in the Susquehanna Township School District for 28 years. In total, her career in the classroom spans 31 years.

Throughout the years she served as a classroom teacher, Rebecca also served in a number of roles in the NEA, an organization that currently serves three million members nationwide. Her first position was Secretary/Treasurer. In 2014, she was elected NEA’s Vice President. In 2020, Rebecca assumed the mantle of President. This position earns Rebecca the title of the highest-ranking African American female labor leader in America. In this role, the indefatigable union leader has worked tirelessly to limit federal testing requirements, increased funding for schools, greater equity for students, and to make teacher evaluation and accountability practices more fair.

For her work on behalf of fellow educators, Rebecca has earned many accolades. She is a recipient of the National Peace Medal for Leader of Educational Excellence; a recipient of the Black Women’s Roundtable Education Innovation & Social Justice Leadership Award from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; the Woman of Power Award from the National Action Network; and she was named Community Woman of the Year by the American Association of University Women. For her efforts on behalf of teachers nationwide, President Barack Obama selected Rebecca to be a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Her work on the Commission included addressing issues on teacher recruitment and retention, STEM access and opportunities, and college preparation and completion.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this biography of her published on the website of the NEA.