Nominate a Chalkboard Champion for this blog

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There are so many talented educators out there that, by myself, I cannot possibly find out about them all. How about some help?

Do you know a remarkable teacher? Someone everyone looks up to: students, parents, and administrators alike? Someone who serves as a model for the profession? A true Chalkboard Champion? This teacher could be someone currently in the classroom, someone who is already retired, or even someone from history that you admire.

You can nominate that educator to be the subject of a blog post on this web site. Simply use the contact form at right to send me the name and email information for the teacher you would like to nominate, where this teacher works or worked, and what it is about this teacher that is so remarkable. Be sure to include their email address so I can get in touch with him or her for an interview.  I’ll do the rest!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Alejandro Diasgranados: National Teacher of the Year finalist

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Alejandro Diasgranados, an elementary teacher from Washington, DC, has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year award. Photo credit: Alejandro Diasgranados.

Congratulations are due to Alejandro Diasgranados, an elementary teacher from Washington, DC. He has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year award.

Alejandro grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He graduated from High Point High School, a public high school located in Beltsville, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Health Science at Virginia State University. While there, he played football. Once he earned his undergraduate degree, Alejandro briefly enrolled in a program specializing in physical therapy in Springfield, Massachusetts. Next, he worked as a substitute teacher in nearby Holyoke. That’s when he discovered his passion for teaching.

In 2015, Alejandro signed up for the Teach for America (TFA) program. He was placed at Aiton Elementary School in DC’s Ward 7. By 2018, the honored educator earned his Master’s degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University. When he walked, all 40 of his students raised the money to attend the graduation ceremony.

Alejandro’s achievements in his relatively short career have already been numerous. As an alumnus of TFA and a teacher-leader, Alejandro garnered a $10,000 grant from the Washington Football Team to establish a laundry center at his school. He also organized a coat drive at Aiton in cooperation with the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals Devante Smith-Pelly. Most recently, Alejandro’s appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show resulted in a gift of 265 new laptops for his school to help close the digital divide during COVID-19.

Currently, Alejandro teaches English Language Arts and Social Studies to fourth and fifth graders. His curriculum empowers his students to act as agents of change, and he strives to inspire them to advocate not only for themselves, but also for others. In one project, his students hoped to challenge inequity of opportunity by creating and distributing pamphlets that explained how educational inequity impacts their community. They also wrote letters to DC leaders, including Mayor Bowser, Council member David Grosso, and Chancellor Ferebee.

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Alejandro serves as a Cultivation Ambassador for Teacher Recruitment and on the Selection Team for DC Public Schools. He is a 2020-2021 Live it, Learn it Experiential Learning Fellow, and served as an Experiential Learning Leadership Pathway Facilitator for Teach For America (TFA) in 2019-2020. This Chalkboard Champion also served as a teacher mentor for the University of the District of Columbia during the 2019-2020 school year, and as a summer school coordinator for DC Public Schools.

To learn more about Alejandro Diasgranados, see this story about him published by DC.gov and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

Ohio middle school teacher Amy Jo Ward succumbs to Covid-19

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Beloved Ohio middle school teacher and cheerleading coach Amy Jo Ward succumbs to Covid 19 on Feb. 9, 2021. She was 48 years old. Photo credit: Legacy.

With great sadness we report that educator Amy Jo Ward of Crooksville, Ohio, has  succumbed to Covid-19. She was 48 years old when she passed away on Feb. 19, 2021.

Amy Jo taught seventh and eighth grade Social Studies at Crooksville Middle School in the district known as Crooksville Exempted Village Schools. In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Amy Jo served her school as their cheerleader advisor and she was active in the Crooksville Band Boosters. Prior to teaching at the middle school, she taught fourth grade in the same district. Her career as an educator spanned 21 years.

The beloved educator will be greatly missed. “Amy loved being a teacher,” remembered colleague Sheila Smith. “In the last several years, we have been switching teacher assignments like crazy, but Amy adjusted like it was no big deal,” Smith continued.

“I went from being a troubled kid, being in drama 24/7, being in fights, downgrading myself, swearing I will never succeed to taking myself from drama, focusing on myself, committing myself to a college,” remembered former student Betty Randolph. “When I look back on who I was I changed because you were by my side the whole way through it. You changed me for the better and I thanked you everyday for it,” Randolph continued.

The fallen educator was born on Feb. 23, 1972, in Zanesville, Ohio. As a young girl, she attended Crooksville High School, where she graduated in 1990. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in elementary Education from the Ohio State University, Zanesville.

To read more about this beloved teacher, see this article about her published by Perry County Tribune.

Former teacher Dolores Huerta: A formidable civil rights leader

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Former elementary school teacher and formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. Photo credit: Public Domain.

Like many people I have heard of formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta. She worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. But did you know she was also once a teacher?

Dolores was born in Dawson, New Mexico, on April 10, 1930. In fact, she just celebrated her 91st birthday earlier this week. Raised in Stockton, California, Dolores graduated in 1955 with an AA and her teaching credentials from the College of the Pacific. After her college graduation, she accepted a teaching position in a rural Stockton elementary school. She had been teaching for only a short time when she realized she wanted to devote her vast energy to migrant farm workers and their families. “I couldn’t stand seeing farm worker children come to class hungry and in need of shoes,” she once explained. “I thought I could do more by organizing their parents than by trying to teach their hungry children.”

After just one year, Dolores resigned from her teaching position, determined to launch a campaign that would fight the numerous economic injustices faced by migrant agricultural workers. Joining forces with the legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez, the intrepid educator helped organize a large-scale strike against the commercial grape growers of the San Joaquin Valley, an effort which raised national awareness of the abysmal treatment of America’s agricultural workers. She also negotiated contracts which led to their improved working conditions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Although there are several fairly good juvenile biographies of this extraordinary woman, there is no definitive adult biography about her. The closest thing to it is A Dolores Huerta Reader edited by Mario T. Garcia. This book includes an informative biographical introduction by the editor, articles and book excerpts written about her, her own writings and transcripts of her speeches, and an interview with Mario Garcia. You can find A Dolores Huerta Reader on amazon. I have also included a chapter about this remarkable teacher in my second book, entitled Chalkboard Heroes.

New York’s Kay Toliver creates dynamic math programs

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New York educator Kay Toliver  creates innovative and dynamic mathematics programs. Photo credit: The Futures Channel.

Many chalkboard champions have been recognized nationally for creating innovative and dynamic programs in their subject area. One such educator in Kay Toliver of New York City.

Kay was born and raised in East Harlem and the South Bronx. As a youngster, she attended Harriet Beecher Stowe Junior High, Walton High School, and Hunter College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1967 and her Master’s degree in 1971. Additionally, Kay completed graduate work in mathematics at the City College of New York.

For more than 30 years, Kay taught mathematics and communication arts at P.S. 72/East Harlem Tech in Community School District 4. Prior to instructing seventh and eighth grade students, she taught grades one through six for 15 years. “Becoming a teacher was the fulfillment of a childhood dream,” the dedicated educator once said. “My parents always stressed that education was the key to a better life. By becoming a teacher, I hoped to inspire African-American and Hispanic youths to realize their own dreams. I wanted to give something back to the communities I grew up in,” she continued.

At East Harlem Tech, with the support of her principal, Kay established the Challenger program for grades 4-8. The program presents the basics of geometry and algebra within an integrated curriculum. Although the program was designed for gifted students; because of her strong belief that all students can learn, she accepted pupils from all ability levels.

Challenger offers events that are similar to science fairs but involve students in creating and displaying projects related to mathematics. Participants had to be able to explain the mathematical theories and concepts behind their projects, which were placed on display at the school so that students from the lower grades could examine the older students’ research. Students have created mathematics games such as Dunking for Prime Numbers, Fishing for Palindromes, and Black Jack Geometry.

Kay also developed a lesson called the Math Trail to give students an appreciation for the community as well as an opportunity to see mathematics at work. To create a Math Trail, the class must first do some research on the history of the community. Then, they are instructed to plot a course, starting from the school building, that leads the class through the community and back to school, with stops along the way to visit several sites and create math problems about various real-life situations.

To show teachers throughout the country how she creates enthusiasm for mathematics among her students, Kay has worked with the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) to create a number of educational video products. Most recently, she has worked with The Futures Channel to present staff development institutes and parent engagement events at schools and districts throughout the country. Most recently, Kay has worked with The Futures Channel to present staff development institutes and parent engagement events at schools and districts throughout the country.

For her efforts, Kay has earned many awards, including the Reliance Award for Excellence in Education, Middle School; Outstanding Teacher for Mathematics Instruction, Disney American Teacher Award; the Kilby Award; and the Essence Award.

To learn more about Chalkboard Champion Kay Toliver, see this link to her page at The Futures Channel.