Emily Griffith: Founder of Denver’s Opportunity School

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Emily Griffith

Emily Griffith, teacher and founder of Denver’s Opportunity School, often wore hats created by students in the school’s millinery classes.

There aren’t many educators who are so revered their portrait hangs in a state capitol building, but one who does is teacher Emily Griffith of Colorado.

Emily was born on February 10, 1868, near Cincinnatti, Hamilton County, Ohio. Even at a young age, Emily knew she wanted to be a teacher. However, because her father often changed professions and frequently moved the family from state to state, and because she was expected to go to work at a young age to help support the family, Emily didn’t have much opportunity to earn a formal education.

Nevertheless, in spite of her youth, lack of formal education, and inexperience, Emily managed to convince the school board at Broken Bow, Oklahoma, she was capable enough to teach. The teenager began her teaching career in the sod schoolhouse she had briefly attended herself. How long she taught there is not known for certain, but it is estimated to be between eight and eleven years.

In 1895, Emily moved with her parents to Denver, Colorado. There she accepted a position as a long-term substitute sixth grade teacher at Central School. The following year she secured a full-time position. The students that attended Central School came from impoverished immigrants from many countries, and Emily could see that her kids’ parents needed help to learn math and how to read and write in English. Emily reasoned that it was just as important to offer educational opportunities to adults as it was to offer them to children.

In 1904, Emily was appointed the Assistant State Superintendent of the Colorado Education Department, a position she held for four years. When her term expired, the veteran teacher served a two-year stint as an eighth grade teacher at the Twenty-Fourth Street School in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver. In 1910, she garnered the position of Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, where she served another four-year term. After the end of this appointment, Emily once again taught at the Twenty-Fourth Street School, and before long, she became the school’s principal.

In 1916, Emily inaugurated a radical progressive experiment, a nontraditional school open from early morning until midnight, available to “All Who Wish to Learn,” including adults and working youngsters. The school offered courses the students deemed useful, such as English as a second language, American citizenship, mathematics, millinery, auto repair, cooking, carpentry, sewing, needlework, typewriting, and telegraphy. Instruction was individualized, and students could attend free of charge. When Emily became aware that some of her younger students had no time or money to eat, she organized free soup to be served. After 17 years, Emily retired from her work at the Opportunity School in 1933, but her years of service were not over. For the next 12 years, she served on the State Board of Vocational Education.

After Emily completed her public service, she and her sister, Florence, retired to a rustic cabin located in Pinecliffe, Boulder County, Colorado. Sadly, on June 18, 1947, the two sisters were found murdered in their home. Authorities have never been able to prove with certainty who the murderer was.

Emily Griffith

The portrait of Emily Griffith in the Denver State Capitol building.

For her tireless work in public schools, Emily garnered many honors, both during her lifetime and after. In 1911, she was recognized with a diploma and two Bachelor’s of Pedagogy degrees from the Colorado State Normal School and Teachers College in Greeley, Colorado, an institution now known as University of Northern Colorado. In 1976, a stained glass portrait of Emily was dedicated in the Colorado State Capitol. In 1985, Emily was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 2000 she was recognized with the Mayor Wellington Webb Millennium Award for Denver’s Most Useful Citizen.

Emily Griffith: truly a Chalkboard Champion.

Teacher Anthony Annunziat recognized at Memorial for Fallen Educators

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Memorial to Fallen Educators

Anthony Annunziat is recognized at the Memorial to Fallen Educators located at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

In recent years there have been numerous dedicated teachers who have lost their lives at work, but in actual fact school shootings have been occurring for decades. One of these was the murder of Anthony Azzunziat, a business education teacher in New Haven, Connecticut, who has shot at school in 1978 in an attempted robbery.

Anthony was a 20-year veteran of the classroom at Wilbur Cross High School, a four-year high school located in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. The school is named after Connecticut Governor Wilbur L. Cross. As an educator passionate about his work, Anthony fervently believed hands-on practice and real-world experiences were a important extension to his classroom curriculum. To this end, the innovative teacher was working with his students to run the Wilbur Cross student store on the morning of December 14, 1978. Suddenly, a street gang of armed teenagers entered the store and demanded the cash box. When the intrepid teacher refused to hand it over, he was shot point-blank in the abdomen. The educator passed away on the operating table later that day. He was just 56 years old.

Anthony’s widow decided to continue her husband’s legacy when, after her husband’s death, she decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Another change that followed the shooting was the decision by the New Haven Education Department to hire security guards to patrol the high schools and some middle schools to provide more security for staff and students.

Anthony’s name and story are part of the Memorial for Fallen Educators sponsored by the National Teachers Hall of Fame located in Emporia, Kansas.To read more about Anthony Annunziata, click on his biography at the Memorial at NTHF Memorial. To learn more about the National Teachers Hall of Fame, click on NTHF.

Erin Oban: The junior high school math teacher who serves in her state House of Representatives

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Erin Oban

North Dakota’s Erin Oban, former junior high school math teacher who now serves in her state’s House of Representatives.

Many gifted classroom teachers also make excellent lawmakers. One example of this is Erin Oban, a junior high school math teacher who has been elected to the North Dakota State Senate.

Erin was born July 25, 1982, in Ray, Williams County, North Dakota. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Mary.

After her college graduation, Erin was employed as a mathematics and technology teacher at Cathedral School in Bismarck, Burleigh County, North Dakota. There she had a reputation among her 7th and 8th grade students for being genuine, hardworking, and kind. “I think one of her most admirable qualities is her authentic support. I never felt uncomfortable asking a question or embarrassed to speak up, because she always made me feel like my contribution to the class was important and appreciated,” remembered former student Danielle Finn. “Most importantly, (Mrs.) Oban took the time to listen to me whenever I wanted to be heard. She would come early to answer questions and stay late for those who needed help. She truly wanted all of her students to succeed, not just at school but also in life,” Danielle concluded.

In 2014, Erin was elected to the North Dakota State Senate on the Democratic ticket to represent the 35th District. In the Senate, her interest in matters relating to education has not decreased. The former classroom teacher serves on the Education Committee, the Judicial Committee, and the Committee for Employee Benefits Programs. She also serves as the Chairman of the Education Policy Committee.

In addition to her legislative role, Erin is the Executive Director of Tobacco Free North Dakota, a nonprofit organization. She helped pass a bill last year banning e-cigarette sales to minors.

Erin Oban: a true Chalkboard Champion.

Celebrating Educator and Alaska Pioneer Orah Dee Clark

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Orah Dee Clark

Educator and Alaska pioneer Orah Dee Clark

There are many examples of talented educators who were also American pioneers. An excellent example of this is educator Orah Dee Clark, a teacher who is best known for being the first superintendent for the first school in Anchorage, Alaska.

Orah was born in 1875 in Firth, Nebraska. She first began teaching in 1906, when she was hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to teach in what was then the Territory of Alaska. There she worked in a number of remote outposts, including Kodiak, Anvik, Tanana, and the Aleutian Islands. In 1915, Orah was named the first superintendent of the first school in Anchorage. After leaving her position in Anchorage, she helped establish schools up and down the railroad belt in towns, including Wasilla, Eske, Fairview, and Matanuska. She also taught in Unga, Kennicott, Ouzinkie, Takotna, Kiana, Nushagek, and Moose Pass. This amazing pioneer concluded her fifty-one-year career when she retired in 1944. Always a champion of Native Alaskan rights, Orah believed that all children should be integrated into schools that fostered individual growth. Throughout her career, she was a strong advocate for schools where Native Alaskans and white students would attend school together.

Clark Middle School in Anchorage was opened in 1959 and named in her honor. In the early days of the school, Orah visited the campus often. According to reports, the students enjoyed talking with her between classes and after school. In 1962, Orah was awarded the Scroll of Honor by the Cook Inlet Historical Society. In 1980, the school where she served as the first superintendent, the Pioneer School House, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2009, Orah was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame. Her personal papers are held in the collection of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and the Anchorage Museum holds a collection of photographs she once owned. Every year, the Anchorage Women’s Club awards a high school scholarship for boys and girls named after Orah.

This remarkable educator passed away in 1965.

You can view this view brief public service announcement created about her by the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association.

Sekou Biddle: Talented elementary school teacher and politician from Washington, DC

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Sekou Biddle

Sekou Biddle: Talented elementary school teacher and politician from Washington, DC

There are many fine examples of talented classroom teachers who go on to become influential in local politics. One such teacher is Sekou Biddle, an elementary school teacher and politician from Washington, DC.

Sekou was born and raised in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. His parents, who both worked for the federal government, stressed the importance of education, and they made sure Sekou went to quality public schools. The youngster attended Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Tenleytown, a historic neighborhood in Northwest, DC. There he played sports, including football, basketball, and crew. He also dated the valedictorian, whom he later married.

Following his high school graduation, Sekou attended Morehouse College, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Once he earned his degree, Sekou accepted a position as a fifth and sixth grade teacher at an elementary school in the Bronx borough of New York City. The job fulfilled his obligation to the Teach for American program. Later, Sekou accepted a teaching position at an elementary school at Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005, he moved back to Washington, DC, where he taught math for the Knowledge is Power Program. Eventually he was named the Director of Community Outreach for the Knowledge is Power organization.

When he decided to throw his hat into the political ring, Sekou ran for and won a seat on the District of Columbia State Board of Education. He served in that capacity for four years. When his term expired, he became the Executive Director of Jumpstart for Young Children, a nonprofit organization that prepares youngsters to enter elementary school. He worked there for four years. Since 2012, Sekou has been employed as the vice president of the United Negro College Fund, where he oversees the advocacy platform that builds coalitions and supports education reforms.