Tag Archives: African American Teachers

NYC STEM teacher Laginne Walker garnered 2024 Sloan Award

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New York City STEM educator Laginne Walker of New York has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. Photo Credit: Fund for the City of New York

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on exceptional educators who have earned honors for their work in the classroom. One of these is Laginne Walker, a STEM teacher from New York City. She has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics.

Laginne teaches STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses in Algebra and Computer Science at the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy. She has worked there for the pat seven years. The school, founded in 2004, was originally funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but currently is funded with public school monies.

Laginne was raised in a home characterized by diversity and a strong sense of social justice. Her mother, an occupational therapist, emphasized the value of education, while her father, from a military family, taught her the importance of hard work. As a young woman, Laginne attended Lick-Wilmerding, a private high school in San Francisco that enrolled students from diverse backgrounds. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wesleyan in 2001. She earned her first Master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Brooklyn College in 2006, and a second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Pace University in 2007.

As a Master Teacher at Math for America, Laginne has both organized and participated in professional development workshops and courses. Through her hard work and self-determination, she became competent in computer science, which enabled her to create computer science courses for students and establish a computer science curriculum for the school where she teaches.

In addition to her Sloan Award, Laginne has earned several other accolades. She was honored with the UFT Excellence in Education Award for High School in 2020; she was named a FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence semi-finalist in 2020; and she received an honorable mention for the Greater New York City NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology in 2020. In 2019, she garnered a UFT Champions of Computer Science Award.

To learn more, view this three-minute You Tube video.

Colby Burnett: Winner of Jeopardy Teachers’ Tournament Winner 2012

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There are many brilliant teachers working in many American schools, and each year the nation gets to meet several of them on the annual competition known as the “Teachers’ Tournament” featured on the game show Jeopardy. One such educator is Colby Burnett, who garnered first place in both the Jeopardy Teachers Tournament in 2012 and the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions in 2013.

Colby grew up in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. As a teen, he attended Fenwick High School, a prestigious private college preparatory school located in Oak Park, Illinois. Illustrious alumni of Fenwick include Illinois state senators Daniel Cronin and Chris Nybo, NASA astronaut Joseph Kerwin, author Philip Caputo, Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Twomey, Chicago Bears player Mike Rabold, Chicago White Sox player Mike Heathcott, and Olympic gold medalist Ken Sitzberger.

After his graduation from Fenwick, Colby enrolled in Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in both history and political science. Following his college graduation, Colby accepted a position as an Advanced Placement History teacher at his alma mater, Fenwick High School.

After Colby’s success on Jeopardy, he was honored by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who designated December 18 as “Colby Burnett Day.” In his declaration, Governor Quinn described the talented teacher as, “a dedicated Illinois educator who demonstrated a passion for lifelong learning,” and said that Colby “has represented the State of Illinois admirably, and established himself as a role model to his students.”

Since 2017, Colby has worked as a College Counselor at ITW David Speer Academy in Chicago, Illinois. He also serves as the Scholastic Bowl Coach there.

You can read more about Colby’s Jeopardy win at this Huffington Post article, Colby Burnett Wins Jeopardy. You can also read the transcript of a Jeopardy interview of Colby at this link: J! Archive.com.

Civil Rights activist Septima Poinsette Clark: “The Mother of the Movement”

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Teacher Septima Poinsette Clark was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. In fact, she was often called “The Mother of the Movement.” Photo Credit: Bob Fitch photography archive, © Stanford University Libraries

Septima Poinsette Clark was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Martin Luther King, Jr., often called her “The Mother of the Movement.” In fact, this remarkable educator earned the Martin Luther King, Jr., Award in 1970, the Living Legacy Award in 1979, and the Drum Major for Justice Award in 1987.

Septima was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 3, 1898. Her father was born a slave, and her mother, although born in Charleston, was raised in Haiti and never experienced slavery. After Septima graduated from high school in 1916, she didn’t have the money to finance her college education. Nevertheless, she landed a position as an elementary teacher in a school for African American Gullah children on John’s Island in South Carolina’s Sea Islands. By 1919, Septima returned to Charleston to teach sixth grade at Avery Normal Institute, a private academy for Black children. Before long, Septima became involved with Charleston’s NAACP, which inaugurated her involvement in Civil Rights activities. In the 1940s, Septima was finally able to return to school, taking summer school courses to earn her college degree. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Benedict College and her Master’s from Hampton University.

In the 1950s Septima found herself working at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tennessee. She was instrumental in fighting against Jim Crow laws by organizing citizenship schools to teach underprivileged African Americans basic literacy skills, voter registration techniques, and the history of the Movement. At Highlander, Septima served as the director of workshops, trained teachers, and recruited students.One of the participants in her workshops was Rosa Parks. Shortly after participating in the Highlander workshops, Rosa helped launch the now-famous Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Septima Clark passed away on John’s Island on December 15, 1987, of natural causes. This talented and dedicated teacher was 89 years old.

Arts educator Elma Ina Lewis earned many prestigious honors

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Arts educator Elma Ina Lewis received a Presidential Medal for the Arts by Pres. Ronald Regan in 1983. Photo Credit: The National Alliance of Black School Educators

Many talented educators have used their considerable expertise to enrich others in their community. One of these was Elma Ina Lewis, an American arts educator who was so successful at promoting the arts that she received a Presidential Medal for the Arts by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.

Elma was born on Sept. 15, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of immigrants who came to the United States from Barbados in the early 20th century. As a young woman, Elma worked her way through college by acting in local theatre productions. In 1943, she graduated from Emerson College, and in 1944, she earned her Master’s degree from the Boston University School of Education.

To share her love of the theater, Elma founded both The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in 1950. Her school, which emphasized music and dance, was attended by many students who found work in Broadway musicals and who built professional careers in the theater. Among them were Kenneth Scott who performed in The Wiz on Broadway, and Leslie Barrow who built a distinguished career dancing and teaching dance in Germany. Later, Elma founded the National Center of Afro-American Artists which served as an umbrella organization for the performing arts school, local arts groups, and a museum. She also developed the Technical Theatre Program at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute. Through this program, 750 inmates at the Norfolk Prison staged performances and learned skills such as musical composition. In 1972 the book Who Took the Weight? Black Voices from Norfolk Prison included work by ten inmates who were writers and artists. Elma wrote the forward for the volume.

For her work in fostering the arts, Elma received the Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts’ highest award in the arts, and nearly 30 honorary doctorates from universities, including both Harvard and Brown. In Oct. 2003, the National Visionary Leadership Project at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts named Elma a Visionary Elder. Musician Ray Charles and historian John Hope Franklin were similarly honored the same night. Also, Elma was one of the first recipients of a MacArthur Fellows Grant in 1981. In 1983, she garnered a Presidential Medal for the Arts from President Ronald Reagan.

Sadly, this amazing Chalkboard Champion passed away from complications from diabetes on Jan. 1, 2004, in Boston. She was 82 years old.

Louisa Alexander: One of the first Black women to attend Oberlin College

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Louisa Lydia Alexander

Tombstone of Louisa Lydia Alexander.

This year’s celebration of Black History Month gives us the opportunity to recognize African American individuals that may otherwise go unrecognized. Our country’s history is full of stories of amazing African American pioneer educators. One of these is Louisa Lydia Alexander, an educator from the South who was one of the first Black women to attend Oberlin College.

Louisa was born at Mays Lick, Kentucky, on November 2, 1836. She was one of five daughters born to Henry and Lucy Alexander. Her father had been born a slave, but had been able to purchase his freedom when he was 21 years old. Once Henry was a free man, he became a merchant. Lucy and Henry worked tirelessly to earn money to send their daughters to school.

In 1950, Louisa was admitted to Oberlin College located in Oberlin, Ohio. Oberlin was the first American institution of higher learning to admit women students, and one of the first i the country to admit Black students. After studying for six years, Louisa completed the requirements for the Ladies Teaching course. She had earned her degree.

Following her college graduation, Louisa launched a lengthy career as an educator, teaching in numerous towns in the South, including Charleston, South Carolina; Marietta, Georgia; Henderson, Kentucky; Cumberland, Mississippi; Red Banks, Mississippi; Mays Lick, Kentucky; St. Mark, Alabama; and Giles Plantation, Mississippi.

This amazing pioneer educator passed away in Washington, DC, on August 18, 1911, at the age of 74. She is interred in Westwood Cemetery in Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio.