Tag Archives: African American Teachers

Educator Willa Brown Chappell taught Tuskegee airmen to fly

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Public school teacher Willa Brown Chappell also taught Tuskegee Airmen to fly airplanes. Photo Credit: Aviation Heritage Park

Many exceptional teachers can boast achievements outside of their classroom. One of these is Willa Brown Chappell, the first African American woman licensed to fly in the United States.

Willa was born on Jan. 22, 1906, in Glasgow, Kentucky. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Indiana State Teachers College in 1927. She also completed the requirements for an MBA from Northwestern University in 1937. Following her college graduation, Willa was employed first as a high school teacher at Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana, and later as a social worker in Chicago.

Willa was always seeking challenges and adventures in her life, especially if they could be found outside the limited career fields normally open to African American women at that time. She decided to learn to fly airplanes. She studied with Cornelius R. Coffey, a certified flight instructor and expert aviation mechanic at a racially segregated airport in Chicago. Willa earned her private pilot’s license in 1938. Later, Willa and Cornelius married and founded the Coffey School of Aeronautics at Harlem Airport in Chicago, where together they trained Black pilots and aviation mechanics. Willa conducted the classroom instruction and Cornelius conducted the in-flight practice.

In 1939, Willa, Cornelius, and their friend Enoch P. Waters founded the National Airmen’s Association of America. Their goal was to secure admission for Black aviation cadets into the US military. As the organization’s national secretary and the president of the Chicago branch, Willa became an activist for racial equality. She persistently lobbied the US Government for integration of Black pilots into the segregated Army Air Corps and the federal Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), a system established by the Civil Aeronautics Authority just before the outbreak of World War II. The CPTP’s purpose was to provide  civilian pilots for service during national emergencies. Willa was given the rank of an officer in this first integrated unit.

In 1948, when Congress finally voted to allow African Americans to participate in civilian flight training programs, the Coffey School of Aeronautics was one of the few private aviation schools selected to provide training. Later, her flight school was selected by the US Army to provide Black trainees for the Air Corps pilot training program at the Tuskegee Institute. Willa was instrumental in training more than 200 students who went on to become Tuskegee pilots. Eventually, Willa Brown became the coordinator of war-training service for the Civil Aeronautics Authority and a member of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Women’s Advisory Board. She was the first Black female officer in the Civil Air Patrol and the first Black woman to hold a commercial pilot’s license in the United States.

This remarkable educator and pioneer aviatrix passed away on July 18, 1992. In 2010, Willa was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Indiana State University Alumni Association. She was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in her native Kentucky in 2003.

To find out more about this remarkable Chalkboard Champion, you can read a chapter about her in my book, Chalkboard Heroes, which is available on amazon.com and the website for Barnes and Noble.

Florida music educator William Coleman earns recognition

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William Coleman, a choir teacher who hails from Palmetto, Florida, was recognized last month by his local television station, ABC7. Photo Credit: Manatee School for the Arts

I always enjoy sharing stories about one of our nation’s exceptional educators. Today, I will share the story of William Coleman, a choir teacher who hails from Palmetto, Florida. He was recognized last month by his local television station, ABC7.

William’s career as a music director spans a total of 26 years. Currently he teaches at Manatee School for the Arts in the Florida city of Palmetto. In addition to his choir courses, this amazing educator teaches music theater workshops and organizes productions. Some of his productions include Little Shop of Horrors, Mame, Jekyll and Hyde, Assassins, Nine, Baby, Annie Jr., Seussical Jr., My Way, The Andrews Brothers, and the premier productions of Boynton Beach Club and Practically Perfect.

Manatee is a public charter school located in Palmetto that offers performing arts programs to middle school and high school students. The school provides academic courses that infuse many opportunities for expression through the performing arts. In addition, students can participate in dual enrollment for college credit. Members of the faculty are professionals in their field, from local performers to internationally known professionals. To read more about this institution, click on this link to MSA.

As part of the school’s mission, William Coleman says he works hard to provide a welcoming atmosphere in his classroom. “I love connecting with my students, be a safe space for them, be comfortable, and be able to explore their love of music,” he declares. As a reward for his dedication to his students, William was profiled by his local television station, ABC7, and he received a $500 award.

William earned his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Purdue University in 1990. He also completed undergraduate work in Piano Performance from the University of Tennessee. He earned his Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Middle Tennessee State University in 1997 and completed a second Master’s degree in Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Oklahoma in 2001.

Louisiana educator Ernest Hill developed lesson to celebrate MLK birthday

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Educator Ernest Hill (at left), who was recognized as Louisiana’s 2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year, developed an annual lesson to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Photo credit: Monroe News Star

Louisiana teacher, assistant principal, and author Ernest Hill planned an annual observance for the birthday of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Ernest, a former social studies teacher at Holly Ridge Elementary School in Richland Parish, was recognized as his state’s 2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year. Currently, he works as an Assistant Principal at his school.

As a classroom teacher, Ernest led his annual lesson about MLK by showing his students a video about the historical icon, followed by a period of self-reflection to think about how to apply King’s actions to their lives today. Ernest emphasized that the holiday is best celebrated with action. “I often tell them that if we live our lives the correct way and if we put ourselves in a position to to be successful, that at some point we have to become the answer to people’s prayers,” Ernest declared. “I just try to make sure that they understand the overall message of King and then how we can apply it to our lives in terms of the opportunity that we have in this country to be whatever we want to be—and the obligation we have to give our best effort to make sure that sacrifices of people like King were not in vain,” he continued.

Next, Ernest would launch his annual movement for reading. As the author of the book A Life for a Life, the former teacher encouraged reading while at the same time introducing his students to stories where they could see themselves. And then he encouraged them to go beyond the text, to imagine themselves in history. In this way, he helped young people understand the emotional aspects of past events. “It’s sort of a continuation of everything that King talked about,” Ernest explained. “I believe in movements; I believe in doing things in a large way in order to create a winning culture or mindset among the masses so that we move in one step towards an ultimate goal of success—and that’s education,” he said.

While literacy is an issue statewide in Louisiana, Ernest says that illiteracy is especially high among Black middle school students. Through his movement to encourage reading, the award-winning teacher hoped to change that.

To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this article about him published in 2021 by the Monroe News Star.

African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray

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African American teacher, poet, and biographer Henrietta Cordelia Ray became known for her sonnets and her ode to Abraham Lincoln.

Many excellent educators have also earned fame for their endeavors outside of the classroom. One of these was Henrietta Cordelia Ray, an African American teacher who is best known for composing a poem about Abraham Lincoln that is associated with the Freedmen’s Memorial located in Washington, DC.

Henrietta was born on Aug. 30, 1852, in New York City. Her father was Charles Bennett Ray, a blacksmith, abolitionist, and clergyman.

As a young woman, Henrietta earned her degree in pedagogy from the University of the City of New York in 1891. She also studied French, German, Greek, and Latin at the Sauvener School of Languages. Then she launched her career as a public school teacher in New York City schools. During this period, Henrietta also became active in community-building and political activism.

Henrietta gave up her position as an educator to pursue a career as a writer. One her pieces, an eight-line ode to Abraham Lincoln, was read at the unveiling of the Freedmen’s Memorial in Washington, DC, in April, 1876. At this unveiling ceremony, the prominent African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass served as the keynote speaker. In 1887, Henrietta co-authored a biography of her father with her sister, Florence. The book was entitled “Sketch of the Life of Rev. Charles B. Ray.” Henrietta also published a collection of sonnets in 1893 and a second book of poetry in 1910.  Selections from the 1910 volume were widely included in anthologies published in the early 20th century. Frequently, the subjects of her verse were nature, piety, and idealism.

In her retirement years, Henrietta returned to her original vocation of teaching. She tutored students and instructed English classes for teachers. In addition, she organized and participated in regional and national conferences for African American teachers.

Sadly, Henrietta passed away on Jan. 5, 1916. She was 63 years old.

LA elem teacher Stephanie Gullage garnered prestigious 2020 PAEMST

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Elementary school mathematics teacher Stephanie Gullage garnered a prestigious PAEMST in 2020. Photo credit: 4WWLTV

Many exceptional educators have earned recognition for their work. One of these is Stephanie Gullage, an elementary school teacher from Luling, Louisiana, who has garnered a prestigious 2020 PAEMST award.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, recognize the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Stephanie’s career as an educator has spanned 29 years. During that time, she has taught many subjects, primarily mathematics. For 11 years, she taught numerous subjects at Marrero Christian Academy. She taught sixth grade reading and mathematics for one year at McDonogh 32 Elementary School. She instructed courses in basic mathematics for one summer as an adjunct professor at Delgado Community College. She also taught Gifted/Academy English Language Arts and mathematics for 17 years at R.K. Smith Middle School.

While employed at Smith Middle, Stephanie completed stints as the Chair of the Mathematics Department, the Improving Student Learning cadre, and the School Improvement Team. In fact, she was teaching Gifted/Academy Mathematics at the time she garnered her PAEMST. In July 2020, Stephanie accepted a position as the Instructional Facilitator for Gifted, Talented, and the Arts for St. Charles Parish Schools, but still taught gifted enrichment in grades one, two, five, and Algebra 1 eLearning.

For her work in the classroom, Stephanie has earned many accolades. She was named the District Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2018, and in 2019, she was named an American Petroleum Institute Distinguished Teacher.  Stephanie has also presented at the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) conventions and participated in the “Digital Tools and Mathematical Modelling in Mathematics” Institute at the University of Würzburg in Germany.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in Elementary Education from Southern University in New Orleans. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Gifted and Talented from the University of New Orleans. She is currently working on her Ph.D. She has also earned her National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics.