Tag Archives: History Teachers

The amazing educator and football coach Jeff Carnazzo

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Jeff Carnazzo

Palma High School Varsity Coach and educator Jeff Carnazzo

Football is the lifeblood of many high schools, so it’s no surprise when a football coach works incredibly hard for his team. But when a varsity coach also teaches Advanced Placement classes, you know you have a very impressive educator. This is the case with Jeff Carnazzo, a high school teacher and football coach in Salinas, California.

Jeff was born on February 10, 1967, in Omaha, Nebraska. As a teen, he attended Palma High School, a private Catholic all-boys high school located in Salinas. Before his graduation in 1985, Jeff lettered in two sports: football and baseball.

After his high school graduation, Jeff enrolled at California State University, Fresno, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology. Later he completed the requirements for his teaching credential and his Master’s in Education at Chapman University.

Jeff Carnazzo

Jeff Carnazzo

In 1990, Jeff returned to his high school alma mater to teach. In addition to his classroom duties, he served as the trainer for the junior varsity linebackers. He held this position for ten years. In 2000, Jeff was promoted to the position of varsity football coach. During this time, he has led the Palma Chieftains to three Central Coast Section Open Division titles, including two in his first two years as head coach. In addition, Jeff instructs courses in US History, Advanced Placement US History, and physical education.

Jeff takes his work with young people very seriously. “It’s an honor to be involved in the lives of young kids,” he once said. “I get the opportunity to see them grow. The older I get, the more appreciative I am. The staff and I get to have an impact on their futures.”

Learn more about this amazing teacher and coach at Alchetron Jeff Carnazzo.

 

Gregory S. Clark: Social Studies teacher and member of Vermont House of Representatives

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Gregory S. Clark

Social Studies teacher and member of the Vermont House of Representatives Gregory S. Clark

Often classroom teachers make the most tenacious advocates for students and teachers once they get elected to political office. This is certainly the case with Gregory S. Clark, a high school social studies teacher who was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives.

Greg Clark was born on July 19, 1947, in the small town of Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont. He lived in Vergennes his entire life. Gregory attended Johnson State College, a small public liberal arts college located in Johnson, Vermont. The institution was founded in 1828. Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree there in 1970.

After his college graduation, Greg taught social studies at Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol, Vermont. He taught there since 1994, nearly 20 years. “I know that he was very highly esteemed by his students,” fellow Vermont Representative Duncan Kilmarten once said.

At the beginning of his political career, Greg served as a deputy mayor and a city councilman in his home town. He was also a member of the Dorchester Masonic Lodge and the Addison County Eagles Club. In 2002, Greg was elected on the Republican ticket to the Vermont State House of Representatives. During his five terms in office, he was a member of the Committee on Education. “He was deeply invested in Vermont’s children and their education, and he worked hard to enhance Vermont’s education system,” remembered House Minority Leader Don Turner.

On November 30, 2012, Greg was clearing ice and snow from his windshield while pulled over on the shoulder of Route 7 while he was on his way to school. Sadly, he was hit by a car and killed. He was 65 years old.

You can read the obituary published about this amazing chalkboard champion at Obituary Gregory S. Clark or the article at Colleagues Remember Representative Greg Clark.

Alan Haskvitz: Showing the best teachers among us how to be even better

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Every teacher is a chalkboard champion in my book, but sometimes I discover an educator that shows even the best teacher among us how to be even better. One such educator is Alan Haskvitz, a middle school teacher from Walnut, California.

Alan, who was born in 1942, has earned four degrees and possesses credentials to teach English, social studies, special education, gifted education, journalism, and business. His career as an educator has spanned more than four decades. Currently, Alan teaches history at Suzanne Middle School in the Walnut Unified School District in Walnut, California. He also serves as the chair of his school’s Social Studies Department.

When Alan first came to Walnut, his students’ standardized test scores were only in the 22nd percentile. However, by using his unique teaching methods, he helped his students improve their scores into the 94th percentile. This was the largest gain in California history.

What are Alan’s unique teaching methods? Well, he introduced “quality circles” in the classroom. A quality circle is a group of students who work cooperatively to identify, analyze, and solve a problem. Also, Alan was one of the first educators to actively promote “service learning” as part of the social studies curriculum. Service learning combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a practical, progressive learning experience that also meets the needs of the larger community.

For his achievements in the classroom, Alan was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1997. He has also been named a “Hero in Education” by Reader’s Digest. He has recognized as a National Middle Level Teacher of the Year, and a USA Today All-Star Teacher. In addition, this chalkboard champion has been honored with the Robert Cherry International Award for Great Teachers, an award usually given only to university-level instructors.

To learn more about this amazing educator, see his biography at Alan Haskvitz. You can also check out the website that Alan works on in collaboration with the Horace Mann Companies, ReachEveryChild.com.

 

Educator Marta Moreno Vega Shares the Culture of Afro-Latinos

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There are many outstanding examples of teachers who share their expertise in arenas beyond the classroom. One of these teachers is Marta Moreno Vega, a junior high and high school history teacher who has devoted three decades of her energy towards exploring, celebrating, and sharing the culture of Afro-Latinos.

Marta was born on January 3, 1952, in East Harlem, an area of New York City that is predominantly Latino and Caribbean. The neighborhood is known as Spanish Harlem, and ethnically, Marta fits right in because she is descended from roots that trace to both Puerto Rico and the Yoruba tribe of West Africa.

Marta earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University, and upon her graduation she became a teacher of history and arts in education in New York City junior high and high schools. After a few years, she returned to the university. She earned her doctorate in African Studies from Temple University in 1995. Upon her graduation, Marta accepted a position as an assistant professor at Baruch College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, where she was employed until 2000. In addition, she taught at the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 1976, Marta founded the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), a multi-disciplinary center located in East Harlem that is dedication to the integration of art, education, and activism to facilitate social transformation. To learn more about this organization, examine their website at CCCADI. She was also instrumental in founding the Association of Hispanic Arts, a New York-based
arts advocacy and public education organization.

In 2000, Marta published her first book, The Altar of My Soul: The Living Traditions of Santeria, which traces the roots, practices, and themes of the Santeria religion. In 2004, Marta published her second book, her memoirs of growing up as a woman of color in Spanish Harlem. The volume is entitled When the Spirits Dance Mambo: Growing Up Nuyorican.

For her efforts, Marta has been honored with the Crystal Stairs Award from the Association of American Cultures, and she has garnered the Mosaic Award from the Multicultural Council of New York City. To learn more about the amazing Dr. Vega, click on Encyclopedia.com or the NYU Staff Website.

Frank Caprio: The Former Teacher, Judge, and Television Personality

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There are many instances when masterful classroom teachers go on to find success in fields other than education. This is the case with Rhode Island’s Frank Caprio, a former social studies teacher who has earned a reputation as a fine municipal judge and popular television personality.

Frank was born on November 23, 1936, to parents who had immigrated from Italy to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1912. To support the family, the parents sold fruit from a pushcart on Providence’s Federal Hill. As a student in public schools, young Frank contributed income to the family by washing dishes and shining shoes. All during his childhood, Frank’s parents emphasized the value of hard work, the importance of education, and a commitment to service.

After his graduation from Providence’s Central High School, Frank earned his bachelor’s degree from Providence College. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, he accepted a position as a teacher of American history and government at Hope High School, a public high school on the East Side of Providence. The young teacher married and started a family. Then Frank decided he wanted to change careers and study law, so he enrolled in night courses at the Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

The former educator began his career in the legal profession in 1965. Since 1985, he has served as a Providence Municipal Court Judge. His court is very popular in Rhode Island as a result of his highly acclaimed television show Caught in Providence, produced by his brother, Joseph Caprio. The show has appeared on a major local TV channel for three years and on a local cable channel for eight years.

Remembering his parents’ encouragement to be of service, Frank has established scholarships to benefit Rhode Island school children. The former educator named his scholarships in honor of his father, a man who had only a fifth grade education but, according to Frank, possessed deep wisdom and great perseverance. Frank also volunteers at local charities such as Boys Town of Italy, the Nickerson House Juvenile Court, and the Federal Hill House.

To recognize Frank’s many years of public service, the Multicultural Center of the University of Rhode Island honored him with its Lifetime Diversity Award. “Judge Caprio is the embodiment of the American dream, a man who understood that education and hard work unlock the doors to success,” expressed Robert L. Carothers, spokesperson for the University of Rhode Island. “Moreover, having succeeded as an individual, he turned his energies to helping others, especially the children of immigrants and minorities, find access to educational opportunities that would allow them to pass through those same doors,” Carothers concluded.

Read more about Frank at the link Judge Caprio or about his television show at Caught in Providence.