Alaska’s Lyda Green: Educator and State Senator
Alaska’s Lyda Green: Educator and State Senator.
Many fine educators also make excellent politicians. An example of this is Lyda Green, a high school teacher from Alaska who has also been elected to her State Senate.
Lyda was born October 16, 1938, in Livingston, Texas. As a young girl, she attended Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas. She graduated in 1956. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, in 1959. She earned a Slingerland Language Arts Certification from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in 1988.
Once she completed her education, Lyda accepted a position as a teacher at West High School. She worked there from 1963 to 1964. In 1991, she accepted a position as an instructor’s assistant at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She also served as an adjunct instructor at Matanuska Susitna Community College from 1991 to 1993. In addition, Lyda served as a member of the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education (1991-1994). She was named by the Alaska Department of Education to serve on their special Education Regulations Task Force (1993-1994). Later she owned her own tutoring business she called The Study.
In 1994, the former educator was elected to the Alaska State Senate on the Republican ticket. She represented the Matanuska Susitna Borough until 2009 for four terms. From 2007 to 2008 she served as the Senate President. Now 81, Lyda lives in Wasilla with her husband, Curtis.
To read more about Lyda Green, see this link from the Alaska State Senate.
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Wisconsin’s Eugene Powers: The school counselor a cut above the rest
Wisconsin’s Eugene Powers, a school counselor a cut above the rest.
When honoring our nation’s Chalkboard Champions, we should remember that school counselors are members of the category, too. These hardworking, dedicated professionals toil tirelessly on behalf of students, their families, and even their colleagues. One of these champions is Eugene Powers of Wisconsin.
Eugene Scott Powers was born on Oct. 26, 1958, in Duluth, Minnesota. He graduated with honors from Proctor High School. He attended both Golden Valley Lutheran College and Concordia University. He earned his degree in Psychology, cum laude. He later graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Superior, with a double Master’s degree in K-12 School and Community Counseling.
Eugene worked as a school counselor from 1998 to 2020, most recently at Superior High School in Superior, Wisconsin. There he went above and beyond in his efforts to come to the aid of his most needy students. Parent Timothy McGrady remembers Eugene with great affection. “He was the school counselor for all of my sons at Superior High School,” McGrady recalls. “When I moved to Superior in 2009 with my autistic son who was seventeen at the time, I didn’t have housing, making me a homeless veteran with disabled son. We lived at a campground in a tent,” McGrady continued. “The first time I met Mr. Powers, it was when my son enrolled at the school for that year. Mr. Powers, after we were done, reached into his pocket and took $145.00 out of his wallet and gave it to me, apologizing that he didn’t have more,” McGrady described. “When I had the money to repay him, he refused to take it. Eugene Powers was a truly a cut above the rest. May his memory be eternal,” McGrady concluded.
This dedicated school counselor passed away on Jan. 17, 2020. He will be interred next to his wife, who preceded him in death, at Industrial Cemetery in Culver, Saint Louis County, Minnesota. To read more about Eugene, view this obituary published in the Duluth News Tribune.
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The incomparable music director Genein Letford
Elementary music educaor Genein Letford of Canoga Park, California.
Students all over our country are indeed fortunate to be exposed to the influences of talented music educators. One of these is Genein Letford, the Music Director of New Academy, a charter elementary school in Canoga Park, California.
Genein earned her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA. There she majored in Psychology and minored in Education with a focus in Diversifying in the Liberal Arts. This unique program was designed to give teachers a foundation in education and then expose them to different content areas. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, Genein completed the requirements for her teaching credential through a year long program called Teachers for a New Era. The program allowed her more hands-on experience with teaching than a traditional teaching program. Recently, Genein completed her Master’s thesis at California State University, Northridge.
Genein’s journey to her position as a music educator began when she was in the third grade. At that young age, she was labeled a special education student because she suffered from a speech impediment. She stuttered when speaking. To help her overcome her disability, Genein’s mother insisted she learn to play an instrument. The child chose the trumpet, mostly because it was one of the least expensive instruments to rent. A year later, Genein joined the school band. Through music, she found her voice.
So far, Genein’s career as an educator has spanned 15 years. Her approach to teaching music is unique and innovative. She designed an interdisciplinary curriculum that incorporates history, social studies, science, language arts, and mathematics. Her talents extend into the community as well. in 2009, Genein began the Music For All: Instrument Scholarship Fund to provide instruments for low-income students who want to continue their music education. She also works as a motivational speaker.
For her work in the classroom, Genein has earned many accolades. She garnered the 2010 Great American Teacher Award. She also earned the National Sontag Prize in Urban Education.
To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to Genein Letford.
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Jean Byrne: Teacher and former New Jersey First Lady
Jean Byrne: Teacher and former New Jersey First Lady.
There are many examples of talented teachers who have also made a mark in the political world. Such is the case with Jean Byrne, an elementary school teacher who became the First Lady of New Jersey in the 1970’s.
Jean was born in Newark, New Jersey, on October 17, 1926. Her parents were George and Jane (Crysler) Featherly. She was raised in nearby West Orange. After she graduated from West Orange High School, Jean enrolled in Bucknell University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. Although she majored in Spanish, she garnered academic awards in English composition and literature. She later earned her Master’s degree in Education from New York University.
After her college graduation, Jean taught second grade at an elementary school in West Orange, New Jersey. She also taught in schools in Harlem and Manhattan.
In 1953, Jean married Brendan T. Byrne. In those days, women teachers were not allowed to work when they were in the family way, so when Jean became pregnant with her first child in 1954, she was forced to resign from her teaching position. Jean and her husband had a total of seven children together.
Jean became the First Lady of New Jersey when her former husband, Brendan Byrne, was elected governor in 1974 on the Democratic ticket. The couple served their state until 1982. During her tenure as First Lady, Jean concentrated her energy on issues related to education and health care. One of her daughters was born with Down’s Syndrome, so Jean advocated tirelessly for research into the condition. She was a lifelong advocate of quality education and civil rights.
Jean and Brendan were divorced in 1993, and Jean settled in Princeton, New Jersey. Sadly, she passed away from babesiosis, a tick-borne disease which affects the red blood cells, on August 9, 2015. She was 88 years old.
To learn more about this amazing educator, see this interview recorded by Rutgers University.
