Beloved fourth grade teacher Fatima Schmidt succumbs to coronavirus

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Beloved fourth grade teacher Fatima Schmidt of New York City succumbed to the coronavirus on April 13, 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of many talented educators. One of them was Fatima Schmidt, a beloved elementary school teacher from New York City. Fatima passed away April 13, 2020. She was 57 years old.

This tireless educator devoted 18 years to New York Public Schools, where she worked at PS 152 and PS 335. Most recently she taught fourth grade at PS 333 in the Hunt’s Point section of the Bronx.

“She went above and beyond to meet her students’ needs, ” recalls colleague Jeana Ferraro. “She took the time to provide extra help and support to those that needed it, while still treating every student equally. She encouraged her students to work hard and be independent.”

Other teachers at PS 333 agree. “She was loved by many and was fueled with this strong-willed determination to show her students that failure was not an option,” remembers colleague Lissette Santana. “She had low tolerance for misbehavior and made it clear what her expectations were. In a world where anything goes, Ms. Schmidt made sure that was not the case in her classroom,” concluded Lissette.

In addition to her classroom duties, Fatima was active in the PTA, supervised numerous class trips, and attended countless sporting events. Friends and family describe Fatima was an adventurer. She loved to travel, visiting many countries abroad and venturing on numerous cruises. She enjoyed  trying new foods, exploring new cities, and immersing herself in various cultures.

To read more about  this amazing educator, read her obituary published on Ever Loved, Inc.

Former middle school teacher Ben Cannon also served in the Oregon House of Reps

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Ben Cannon, an Oregon middle school Humanities teacher, has also served in his state’s House of Representatives.

Professional educators often make excellent politicians. This is true of Ben Cannon, a former middle school teacher who has also served in the Oregon State House of Representatives.

Ben was born in 1976 in Springfield, Illinois. As a teenager, he graduated from West Linn High School in West Linn, Oregon. That was in 1994. After his graduation, Ben earned his Bachelor’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While there, he served as the editor of the college newspaper. In 1999, Ben garnered a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University in England. There he completed courses in Economics, Politics, and Philosophy. He also earned a Master’s degree in Comparative and International Education.

Once he completed his studies, Ben returned to Oregon to accept a position as a Humanities teacher at the Arbor School of Arts and Sciences in Tualatin. Located in Washington County, the Arbor School is a private K-8 institution situated on 21 acres of wooded farm land. The facility also houses the Arbor Center for Teaching, a two-year teacher residency program offering an innovative teaching apprenticeship in a laboratory school setting. Ben taught at the Arbor School from 2003 to 2011, a period of eight years.

In 2006, Ben was elected on the Democratic ticket to the first of three terms he served in the Oregon House of Representatives. He represented the 46th District. Before completing his third term, however, Ben gave up his seat to accept a position as the Education Policy Adviser to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. He left that position in 2013 when he was appointed to lead the state’s newly created Higher Education Coordinating Commission. In this capacity, Ben oversees state funding allocations, policy-setting, and coordination for the state’s higher education system. 

During the time Ben worked in these political positions, the former teacher worked to secure Oregon’s waiver from the No Child Left Behind laws. He also overhauled Oregon’s system of higher education.

To learn more about Ben, see his website at this link: The Evolllution.

Sharon Mills Draper: Former English teacher and award-winning author

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Sharon Mills Draper: Former high school English teacher and award-winning author.

I love to share stories about talented educators who have made a name for themselves as an author. One of these is Sharon Mills Draper, a former high school English teacher who has also won awards as an author of books for children and adolescents.

Sharon was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on Aug. 21, 1948, the oldest of the three children of Victor and Catherine Mills. Her father was a hotel maitre d’ and her mother worked in the advertising department of a local newspaper. As a child, Sharon loved to play the piano and to read. By the time she was 11 years old, she had read every children’s book in her local library. The librarian then gave her a special library card that she could use to check out books from the adult section.

When she grew up, Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Pepperdine University and her Master’s degree from Miami University of Ohio. Once she completed her education, she inaugurated her teaching career in Cincinnati public schools. As a teacher, she earned fame among her students for a challenging research paper she assigned to her seniors. They dubbed the assignment the “Draper Paper.”

Sharon’s career as an author began in 1990 when she was challenged by one of her ninth grade student to “write something.” She submitted a short story entitled “One Small Torch” to a writing contest sponsored by Ebony Magazine. The magazine published her story and awarded her $1,000. She even earned praise from Roots author Alex Haley! In 2000, after a career as an educator that spanned 25 years, Sharon retired to spend more time on her writing.

For her work as an educator and as an author, Sharon has earned many accolades. She was named the National Teacher of the Year in 1997. The same year, the Ohio Department of Education named her an Ohio Pioneer in Education, and she garnered a National Educator Award from the Milken Foundation. She also won the Career Woman of Achievement, the Dean’s Award from Howard University School of Education, the Pepperdine University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Marva Collins Education Excellence Award, and the Governor’s Educational Leadership Award. In addition, Sharon earned the Coretta Scott King Award for books about youngsters and adolescents. She is best known for her Hazelwood and Jericho series.

To learn more about the work of Sharon Mills Draper, see her bio info at Simon & Schuster.

Minnesota educator Roger Lehne falls to coronavirus

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Minnesota’s Roger Lehne, retired educator, becomes a casualty of the coronavirus.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Roger Lehne, a retired teacher and US Navy veteran from Fargo, North Dakota.

Roger was born on March 26, 1927. He was raised in Audubon, Minnesota. In the closing months of World War II, Roger enlisted in the US Navy. He was only 17 years old. While in the service, Roger served as a medic.

When the war was over, the veteran attended what is now Minnesota State University at Moorhead. He also enrolled at the University of North Dakota, where he completed the requirements for his Master’s degree.

In 1954, Roger inaugurated his career as an educator at Waubun, Minnesota.. In 1966 he transferred to Mahnomen High School. Eventually he was named Vice Principal at Mahnomenl. “Everyone could go to him with problems,” remembered his niece, Julie LaVoy. “He was very beloved.” The respected educator retired in 1984.

It was at the Mahnomen where he met Teresa London, a local elementary school teacher. The couple married on May 31, 1958. Roger and Teresa made their home in Mahnomen, until recent years when they moved to Fargo. Teresa, now age 84, survives her husband.

Sadly, this chalkboard champion passed away on his birthday, March 26, 2020, at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Fargo, a casualty of the coronavirus. He was 93 years old. To read more about him, see this obituary published by the Grand Forks Herald.

Marie Antoinette Bennette: Pioneer teacher and doctor

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Marie Antoinette Bennette was a trailblazer, not only in the field of education, but also in the field of medicine.

There are many women in the history of the United States who have been trailblazers, not only in the teaching profession, but in other professions as well. One of these was Marie Antoinette Bennette, a California school teacher who was also a pioneer as a doctor.

Marie was born on November 25, 1858, one of four daughters of David and Maria Bennett. Her parents were immigrant ranchers of French descent. To honor her French heritage, Marie added an “e” at the end of her last name

As a young girl, Marie’s family transplanted themselves from Illinois to Single Springs in El Dorado County, California. Marie’s parents saw to it that their daughters received more education than was the norm for young ladies of the day. After her graduation from high school in Shingle Springs, Marie enrolled at San Jose Normal School, the first institution of higher learning established in California to train new teachers. Once she completed her education there, Marie moved to San Bernardino in southern California. There she became a well-respected teacher and, eventually, a principal.

Despite her success as an educator,  Marie longed to become a doctor. While still working in the classroom, she studied medicine at night as an apprentice to Dr. W. H. Fox. Dr Fox earned notoriety as the first president of the San Bernardino County Medical Society. Eventually, Marie was able to enroll in medical school at Cooper Medical College. This institution later became the Stanford School of Medicine. On Nov. 11, 1885, Marie graduated from Cooper, with honors. Thus, Marie became the first female Californian to earn a medical diploma. Not content to finalize her education there, Marie continued her studies at the medical college and hospital clinic of Philadelphia. There she completed post-graduate work specializing in women’s and children’s diseases. She then  returned to Oakland, where she established her first medical practice. She also became a Mrs., having married newspaper editor Will Nash.

In August, 1990, the adventurous couple traveled to Alaska, where Marie opened a hospital in the mining town of Porcupine. Three years later, Marie and Will moved to southeastern Arizona and settled in Bisbee, where Will accepted a position as the editor of the Tombstone Epitaph.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on July 28, 1937, at the age of 78. She is buried in Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Shingle Springs, California.