NYC educator Renee Diamond succumbs to coronavirus
Beloved educator Renee Diamond, a retired first grade teacher from New York City, passed away on May 11, 2020, from coronavirus.
Sadly, yet another educator has succumbed to the coronavirus. She is Renee Diamond, a retired first grade teacher from New York City. She was 73 years old.
Renee inaugurated her 25-year career as an educator in 1968 when she accepted a position as a first grade teacher at PS 25 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. After an eight-year hiatus when she stayed home to raise her family, Renee resumed her career at PS 134 in Hollis, Queens. She taught there until her retirement in 2003. During those years, Renee also tutored PS 134 students living in homeless shelters. In 2004-2005, the hardworking educator served as a technical grant facilitator for Districts 16 and 23 in Brooklyn and District 27 in Queens.
Former student Tamara Blocker (1984-1985) remembers her teacher fondly. “Every child loved being in her class,” Blocker recalled. “They loved her compassionate, loving smile and open arms, and knew she valued what they had to say.” Friend and colleague Judy Cohn agreed. She remembers Renee as a teacher who was beloved by her students and their families. “Renee always encouraged and supported her students,” Cohn said, “and often told them, ‘If nobody can listen to you read, then read to your mirror.'”
During her retirement, Renee was a judge for Long Island History Day and a Board Member for the Hollis Hills Civic Association.
The beloved educator passed away on May 11, 2020. To read more about Renee, follow this link to New York State United Teachers.
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California teacher David Rodriguez garners Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award
Math and technology teacher David Rodriguez from Hesperia, California, garners coveted Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.
I love to share stories about exceptional educators who have been recognized for their hard work and talent in the classroom. One of these is David Rodriguez, a math teacher from California who has garnered a coveted Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. He is one of ten educators from around the country to be so recognized.
David teaches at Canyon Ridge High School in Hesperia in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The school offers an alternative program for students who were not succeeding in a traditional school environment. The Amazon prize comes with $25,000 of computer equipment and $25,000 in school supplies for his school.
“This is the first year that we brought coding to Canyon Ridge, and it was challenging,” explained David, “but the collaboration and discussions that happened in the classroom because of it were unforgettable. This award will allow me to expand the technology in my class,” he continued. “It means further access for students, stronger and more capable equipment for coding and ESports, and a potential for a deeper and richer learning environment.”
In his coding and Esports class, David teaches the fundamentals of coding while also bringing in the teamwork and competitive elements found within Esports. His students have built computers, competed in Esports tournaments, and developed successful lines of code as a team. “Many of our students have learned the importance of their core classes through the lens of coding and Esports, most importantly, statistics, number sense, and the reading and comprehension of informational text,” David revealed.
Amazon selects the recipients of the Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award based on a variety of criteria. These include their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.
To read more about David, see this article published in the San Bernardino Sun.
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Educator and activist Sarah Lee Fleming of New York
Educator and teacher Sarah Lee Fleming of Brooklyn, New York. Photo credit: Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library.
There are many accomplished educators in American history who have distinguished themselves as community activists. Sarah Lee Fleming, a school teacher from Brooklyn, New York, is one such educator.
Sarah was born Sarah Lee Brown was born in poverty in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 10, 1875. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a young girl, Sarah dreamed of becoming a school teacher. However, her father discouraged this goal, believing that Sarah could only aspire to be a domestic. Little did he know that one day, Sarah would become the first African American teacher in the Brooklyn public school system.
In 1902, Sarah married Richard Stedman Fleming. After their marriage, the couple moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where Richard became the first African American dentist to practice in the state. The union produced two children: a daughter named Dorothy born in 1903, and a son named Harold born in 1906.
An associate of Mary McLeod Bethune, Sarah channeled her energy into bettering the educational opportunities for African American women. She organized the New Haven Women’s Civic League in 1929, and in 1936, she established the Phillis Wheatley Home for Girls, a shelter for young Black women who had just moved to New Haven in search of employment. In fact, Sarah’s work was recognized by Congress in 1955, the same year she received the Sojourner Truth Scroll from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club.
In addition to her civic work, Sarah was also a published playwright, novelist, and poet named as part of the Harlem Renaissance movement. Sarah’s most notable published works are her novel Hope’s Highway, published in 1918, and a collection of poems entitled Clouds and Sunshine, published in 1920.
Sarah passed away in January, 1963, five days before her 87th birthday.
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Alaska’s Ben Grussendorf: Talented teacher and politician
Government and social studies teacher Ben Grussendorf served ten terms in the Alaska State House of Representatives.
Many talented educators also make superb politicians. This is certainly true of Ben Grussendorf, a social studies teacher from Alaska who served in his state’s House of Representatives.
Benjamin Franklin Grussendorf was born on February 23, 1942, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. As a young boy, he enjoyed idyllic summers at the family’s cabin on Pokegama Lake. He often referred to those times as his “Tom and Huck days.”
After his graduation from high school in Grand Rapids, Ben enrolled at the University of Minnesota. There he earned first his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and then his Master’s degree in Political Science Education. In 1966, he moved to Alaska, where he accepted a position as a government and social studies teacher at Sitka High School. He also taught political science at Sitka Community College.
The accomplished educator entered politics in 1971 when he accepted a position on the Sitka Charter Commission. That experience led him to a position on the Assembly for the new municipality. He also served as the Deputy vice Mayor. He was elected Mayor of Sitka, a position he held from 1975-1979. During these years, he was also the President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
In 1981, Ben was elected to the Alaska State house of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. Altogether, Ben was elected to serve his constituents for ten terms, that’s 20 years, in the position. During these years, he also served three terms as the Speaker of the House.
In his spare time, Ben was an active member of many organizations. These included the Lions; the Sitka Chamber of Commerce; the Alaska Native Brotherhood; the Elks; the Moose; the Pioneers of Alaska; and the Sons of Norway
This amazing teacher and politician passed away on June 17, 2011. He was 69 years old. To read more about him, follow this link to the obituary published in the Anchorage News.
