The intrepid Prudence Crandall: She braved danger to teach African Americans

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Prudence Crandall

Teacher Prudence Crandall: The Chalkboard Hero who taught African American students.

There are many courageous teachers who have made great sacrifices for the sake of their students. One of these was Quaker Prudence Crandall, a Connecticut teacher who lost everything she owned in order to educate African American girls in a time when doing so was unheard of.

In 1831, Prudence opened a boarding school for young ladies in Canterbury, Connecticut. By the end of the first year, she had earned the praise of parents, community members, and students throughout New England.

Then one day an African American student named Sarah Harris asked to be admitted to the academy. Sarah said she wanted to learn how to be a teacher so she could open her own school for Black students. Prudence knew admitting an African American student would generate some resistance from her neighbors, but after some soul-searching, she decided her conscience and her religious convictions would not allow her to refuse the request. Unfortunately, Prudence had severely under-estimated the resistance she would encounter for this decision.

Figuring the complaint from her detractors was that she was operating an integrated school, the intrepid teacher closed her academy for white girls and re-opened as an academy for “misses of color.” That just made the situation worse. Her action caused ripples all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in Prudence’s brief incarceration in the local jail. After lawless community members set fire to her school, Prudence was forced to close the academy and leave town.

Years later, however, the courageous stance taken by Prudence Crandall resulted in the intrepid teacher being named the Female State Hero for Connecticut. You can read more of the gripping account of what happened in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes, now available on amazon.com.

Dane Weaver named Wyoming’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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High school Social Studies teacher Dane Weaver from Ten Sleep, Wyoming, has been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the year.

I enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Dane Weaver, a high school social studies teacher from Wyoming.

Dane teaches in Ten Sleep High School in the town of Ten Sleep. The school is part of Washakie County School District #2. The honoree has taught there for the past three years. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Dane serves his school as the advisor for the student council, as the Assistant Football Coach, and as a member of the building intervention team.

Prior to relocating to Ten Sleep, Dane taught in Jackson, Tennessee. There he taught social studies and served as a teacher coach. In that capacity, he assisted new and struggling teachers through teaching best practices in the classroom. For this work, Dane was recognized as the Teacher of the Year in Jackson Madison County in 2016.

The honored educator asserts that social studies is primarily about building critical thinking skills. “This has to be done through primary sources, digging through the content, looking at what people actually did. So my mode of education is a very active teacher.”

Dane had great models for this manner of teaching. As a youngster, Dane was raised in a household that valued education. His mother was the first woman to teach agriculture in the state of Tennessee. From her, Dane learned an appreciation for inspiring others through education.

Dane earned his Bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University, a private university located in Henderson, Tennessee. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Carson Newman College, a private liberal arts university located in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

To read more about Dane, see this link from the Wyoming State Department of Education.

Georgia educator Ernestine Miles Mann succumbs to Covid-19

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The educational community is saddened by the passing of Georgia educator Ernestine Miles Mann, who succumbed to Covid-19 on March 29, 2020.

The educational community is saddened by the passing of another educator lost to Covid-19. Ernestine Miles Mann, a retired teacher of Georgia, passed away on March 29, 2020, in Atlanta. She was 83 years old.

Ernestine was born June 15, 1936, in Atlanta, Georgia. As a youngster, she attended the Spelman College Nursery School and Ogelthorpe Elementary School located on the campus of Morris Brown College. In 1953, she graduated from at Booker T. Washington High School. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in 1957 with a major in English and a minor in Elementary Education.

The longtime educator devoted 26 years of her 30-year career teaching at the elementary level in the Atlanta Public School system. Upon her retirement, she was appointed by Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell to serve as the Chair on the Civil Service Board for the City of Atlanta. She was later re-hired by the Atlanta Board of Education to observe and evaluate first-year teachers.

Ernestine was a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. She served as chapter president from 1966-1968. For this work, she received the Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2012. She was also a member of the Executive Board of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. In 2007, she was honored by the Atlanta Chapter for her dedication and leadership to the organization. In addition, Ernestine was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Atlanta Alumnae Chapter, and served as chapter adviser for the Eta Kappa Chapter of Spelman College. For her work in education, Ernestine garnered the Delta Torch Award and, in 2017, she earned the Spelman Founders Spirit Award.

To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, see this link at Spelman College.

New Jersey teachers establish food bank to help sheltering-at-home students

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High school teachers Kelly and Cori Carroll of Hackensack High School in Hackensack, New Jersey, established a food bank to help their sheltering-at-home students.

How wonderful it is that many dedicated educators work not only on behalf of their students, but also on behalf of their communities. This is true of teacher Kelly Carroll and his wife Cori, who teach at Hackensack High School in Hackensack, New Jersey. The couple has opened a food bank in their front yard to help feed their needy students and their families.

Kelly teaches culinary arts and Cori teaches special education. When the school first closed in mid-February to comply with the state’s shelter-at-home order, Kelly began making house calls to the homes of his students to discuss home schooling assignments. He suggested to parents that they prepare one meal each day together and then send him a photograph of their work. One parent, however, confessed that she was too embarrassed to show him what she had been feeding her children since she’d been out of work. That’s when Kelly decided he needed to do something to help.

Hackensack High School Culinary Arts teacher Kelly Carroll and his wife, Special Education teacher Cori Carroll, help feed their needy students.

Kelly and Cori started asking their students and parents if they needed groceries. About 15 families indicated they were in need. And then the couple learned there was no food bank in their area to help. That’s when they decided to organize their own food bank to help the needy families.

Kelly has a friend who manages a division of Farmer’s Fridge in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company makes healthy meals for vending machines. The friend offered to donate a shipment of organic salads and sandwiches that. Kelly drove to Carlstadt, picked up 12 crates of pre-made meals, and sorted them into bags for the families of each of the needy students.

Before long, more needy families asked for the donated meals. And within a few weeks, more and more individuals contributed donations of food and cash to the Carrolls. The couple is now feeding approximately 200 families each week. They are also providing necessary household items such as diapers for those families who have toddlers at home.

The effort has caught the attention of Robert Sanchez, Superintendent of Hackensack Schools. “The care and compassion that they have demonstrated for our families during this pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Sanchez asserts. “We are very proud that they are part of our amazing school system,” he continues.

For the Kelly, the effort is part of his desire to teach his students good citizenship in addition to content. “I want my kids to grow up knowing that this is what you’re supposed to do in times like this.”

To read more about these two Challkboard Champions, see this link at northjersey.com.