Teacher Angela McLean served as Montana Lieutenant Governor
Former high school History and Government teacher Angela McLean also served as the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Montana.
Many talented educators also achieve success in the political arena. One of these is Angela McLean, a high school history and government teacher who became the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Montana. Angela was the first classroom teacher and only the second woman to serve in this position in Montana history.
Angela was born on August 19, 1970, In Twin Bridges, Montana. After she graduated from Twin Bridges High School, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana Western. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Montana Missoula. Angela was the first person in her family to graduate from college.
As a beginning teacher, Angela taught at Montana’s Arlee High School from 1994 to 1997. She taught at Anaconda High School from 1997 until she was appointed Lieutenant Governor on February 17, 2014. She held the position until 2016. At the time of her appointment, Angela was the chairwoman of the Montana Board of Regents, a position she held from 2012 to 2014. She also served on the Montana Board of Public Education and as an adjunct professor at Montana Tech of the University of Montana. After she left office, Angela served in the position of director of American Indian and minority achievement in the office of the state commissioner of higher education.
This remarkable educator credits her former teachers for her adult successes. “As a high schooler waiting tables at the Blue Anchor Cafe, it would have been hard for me to imagine one day becoming Lieutenant Governor – but great teachers and the support of my friends, my community, and my family have made today possible for me,” she said on the day she was appointed. These teachers “made me believe the sky was the limit,” she continued. “I think, even at times when the challenges I felt were so overwhelming that I might not have believed it, they made me see it. So I hope that somewhere along the line I made a difference in the lives of my students the way the teachers in my life made a difference.”
To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this link at Milken Educator Awards.com.
Share this:
Junior high school teacher and former Arizona State Senator Ann Day
Junior high school teacher and former Arizona State Senator Ann Day.
Many talented classroom teachers also earn success in the political realm. An excellent example of this is Ann Day, a public school teacher from Arizona who also served in her State Senate.
Ann was born Eleanor Ann Day in El Paso, Texas, on August 10, 1938. She was the daughter of a pioneering ranching family. Ann grew up on the ranch that was established by her grandfather in 1880. Ann was the sister of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Arizona State University in 1970. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona in 1972.
After earning her degrees, Ann taught in junior high schools in the Alhambra School District in Phoenix. She also accepted assignments as a substitute teacher in the Tucson Unified School District in Tucson. Ann also worked as a marriage and family therapist for the Pima County Conciliation Court (1972 to 1982).
From 1990 to 2000, Ann served in the Arizona State Senate. She was elected on the Republican ticket. While in office, the former teacher served as Majority Whip. While in office, Ann was a member of the Judiciary Committee; the Commerce, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee; and the Rules Committee. Later she served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2000 to 2012). In addition, Ann served on the Arizona Industrial Commission.
As a politician, the former teacher had a reputation for being politically moderate. She was a staunch advocate for the rights of cancer patients to clinical trials and for reforms in the HMO industry. She is also credited with helping to bring semi-pro soccer to Tucson.
Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion was killed in an automobile accident near Tucson on May 7, 2016. The accident was triggered by a drunk driver. Anne was 77 years old.
To learn more about Ann Day, read her obituary at Find a Grave.
Share this:
Marianne Kusaka, teacher and former Mayor of Kauai
Marianne Kusaka, elementary school teacher and former Mayor of the County of Kauai.
Many fine educators serve their communities as local leaders. One of these is Marianne Kusaka, an elementary school teacher who was also elected Mayor of the County of Kauai in the state of Hawaii.
Marianne was born in Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawaii on September 11, 1935. When she was a youngster, her family in the isolated village of Hana on the Island of Maui. Marianne was raised there.
After she graduated from high school, Marianne attended Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu. She transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. There she earned her degree to become an elementary school teacher.
In 1964, Marianne relocated to the island of Kauai. Since then, she has devoted 33 years of her life as a professional educator, teaching at numerous elementary schools on the island. One of her students at Kapaa Elementary School was Bernard Carvalho, Jr., who later became the mayor of Kauai.
“It is such an honor to live here in this special place,” Marianne expressed in a 2015 interview. “I am honored to have my former students who called me Mrs. Kusaka, now call me Aunty Maryanne — such a warm feeling of respect and aloha — I love it!” she continued. “In some cases, I have become part of their family having taught three generations,” she concluded.
Marianne was still teaching when, in 1994, she was elected mayor of Kauai. While in office, the indefatigable educator launched herself into community beautification projects. Her first project was the clean-up of a beach that had been littered during a hurricane two years prior. She also worked towards refurbishing camp grounds, neighborhood parks, and jogging paths. She also focused attention on increasing tourism in the area.
In 2004, the former teacher retired from politics. But she continued to serve her community on the Board of Directors of the Kauai Museum. In addition, she has been instrumental in staging the area’s Festival of Lights. The celebration honors Hokule‘a, the Hawaiian sailing canoe. The festival features the creations from recycled materials by students from Kauai and Kapaa High Schools.
To read more about this amazing educator, read the full 2015 interview published by the newspaper The Garden Island.
Share this:
California’s Brett Benson: Exemplary educator, US veteran, and community leader
California’s Chalkboard Champion Brett Benson: Exemplary educator, veteran, and community leader.
Many fine educators also happen to be leaders in their community. One of these was Brett Benson, a teacher, military veteran, and community leader from Chino Hills, California.
Brett was an exemplary teacher in the Chino Valley School District for 32 years. He retired in 2010. During his lengthy career as an educator, Brett worked with students at every grade level from kindergarten to grade 12, except for third grade. He was one of several educators who established his district’s Gifted and Talented Education program. He also inaugurated an independent study program within his district. “It’s a life-saving program,” Brett once declared. “Many kids are there for medical purposes, others are self-motivated to graduate early, and still others are a square peg when all the holes are round,” he continued.
After his retirement, Brett donated three years to working with troubled teens on his city’s Youth Accountability Board. He also served on a citizens oversight committee for school facilities bonds.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Brett served on the Chino Hills Day at the Fair Committee, the San Bernardino County Senior Affairs Commission, and the Hope for the Hills organization, a non-profit which sponsors community improvement projects, park clean-ups, and a local food bank. Brett’s most recent project was to serve as a charter member and treasurer for the 55+ Club. The Club helped fund and build a local monument to honor all US servicemen who have served or are currently serving in all branches of the military. Brett himself served in the US Army during the VietNam era.
For his exemplary work in the classroom, Brett was inducted into the Chino Valley School District Hall of Fame in 2019. He was named a Volunteer of the Month for the City of Chino Hills in 2008. This Chalkboard Champion passed way on Monday, June 22, 2020. He was 72 years old.
To read more about Brett, see this story published in the Chino Valley Champion.
