Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Remembering Chalkboard Hero Michael Landsberry

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Michael Landsberry

Junior high school mathematics teacher and veteran Michael Landsberry sacrificed his life to save as many as 30 students from a teen gunman. Photo credit: Public Domain

Sometimes it is sobering to remember what a heavy responsibility we teachers have when it comes to protecting our students from harm. And there are many examples of heroic educators who have paid the ultimate price to protect their kids. One such hero is Michael Landsberry, a junior high school math teacher from Reno, Nevada.

Following his graduation from high school in 1986, Michael served in the United States Marine Corps where he had risen to the rank of corporal. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and later became a member of the Nevada Air National Guard.

After his discharge, Michael attended college at Nevada State University, Reno, on the GI Bill. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2001. Following his college graduation, Michael accepted a teaching position at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, a suburb of Reno, Nevada. In addition to being a math teacher, he also coached basketball, cross country, track, and volleyball, and he served as the girls soccer coach at Sparks High School. Michael quickly became a beloved teacher known for pushing his students, but doing it with love and compassion.

On October 22, 2013, Michael was getting ready for the morning bell, when a 12-year-old student suddenly opened fire on his classmates. After the first student was shot, the chalkboard champion’s military training in kicked in. He calmly walked toward the shooter, putting his hands up in a motion to try to talk the youngster into giving up his gun. The student shot him in the chest at point blank range. Michael later succumbed to his injuries, but his heroic actions gave the other students on the playground time to run to safety. He is credited with saving as many as 30 lives that day.

For his heroism, Michael’s name has been inscribed on the Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

GA math educator Dr. Valerie Jones inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Dr. Valerie Camille Jones of Atlanta, Georgia, has been named a 2025 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Photo credit: NTHF

There are many superb educators who work with our nation’s young people, and I am always eager to shine a spotlight on one of them: Dr. Valerie Camille Jones of Atlanta, Georgia. She has been named a 2025 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Valerie was selected for the honor in recognition for her innovative, student-centered classroom. Daily she strives to blend project-based learning, performing arts, and cutting-edge technology in her curriculum. She designs dynamic learning experiences that empower students to take ownership of their own education, deepen engagement, and build a strong sense of community. She does this by integrating popular culture such as dance, music, and media into her lessons. This makes abstract concepts accessible and relevant, and helps her students connect personally with the content, she says. Her efforts certainly yield measurable results. For example, her geometry class achieved the highest end-of-course test scores in her school district and ranked fifth in the state, earning her recognition as Teacher of the Year.

In addition to her NTHF honors, Valerie was honored as a 2021 Women in Technology Mathematician of the Year Award. She was recognized as a semi-finalist for a Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching by Baylor University in 2018. In 2013, she received a PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science) by the National Science Foundation. And in 2006, she was named Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Schools.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame established a museum and recognition program in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor outstanding educators from all corners of the country. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.

Educator Jaime Escalante taught students to “Stand and Deliver”

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Mathematics educator Jaime Escalante taught his students to “Stand and Deliver.” Photo credit: UCLA Digital Library

One of the most well-known teachers in twentieth-century American history, Jaime Escalante, passed away in 2010, but already his story is fading from our collective cultural memory. He was the teacher portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the 1988 hit movie Stand and Deliver.

The recipient of numerous awards and special praise from President Ronald Reagan, Jaime Escalante was a popular and talented teacher who challenged supposedly “unteachable” inner-city Latino students to achieve beyond a level anyone thought them capable of. He eventually led them to unparalleled success on the extremely difficult Advanced Placement Calculus exam.

In researching Jaime’s life story for my own book, Chalkboard Champions, I learned some surprising facts about this remarkable educator. For example, the movie never mentions that prior to immigrating to the United States, he earned a degree in mathematics and a teaching credential in Bolivia. Jaime was a veteran teacher with nine years of experience in prestigious schools when he decided to leave his politically unstable homeland and come to America in search of a better life for his family. Once he arrived, unable to speak a word of English, Jaime discovered that his education, training, and experience held no value here.

Determined to return to the classroom, Escalante set about learning the English language and earning his university degree all over again. It took him ten years to get back into the classroom, at a significant cut in pay, by the way. But to this dedicated teacher, it was well-worth the hard work.

A well-researched and well-written account of this celebrated educator’s life can be found in the biographical book Jaime Escalante: The Best Teacher in America by Jay Matthews. For a condensed version of Jaime Escalante’s life, check out chapter 12 my volume, Chalkboard Champions. Either way, you’ll find his story compelling and inspiring.

NYC math teacher Hussein Fassa garners a 2025 Big Apple award

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Middle school mathematics teacher Hussein Fassa has garnered a coveted 2025 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools. Photo credit: New York City Public Schools

There are many exemplary educators teaching in our nation’s public schools who are deserving of recognition. One of these is Hossein Fassa, a middle school mathematics teacher. He has garnered a coveted 2025 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools.

Hussein teaches at the New School for Leadership and the Arts in the Bronx. He has taught at this school for the past 7 years. The facility offers intensive arts and science programs, where students are provided with a global and technological-driven experiences. Previously he taught at Melrose School, also located in the Bronx, for five years.

This innovative teacher designs lessons that are structured so that students explore and interact with other students to advance their learning. He strives to create a classroom environment where students feel safe to take intellectual risks and are held accountable to each other.

His Big Apple Award is not the only honors Hussein has earned. In 2024 he was named a recipient of the Edith May Sliffe Award by the Mathematical Association of America. These awards are given annually to middle and high school mathematics teachers who have done outstanding work to motivate students in mathematics by participating in one of the MAA American Mathematics Competitions. In addition, Hussein is a former NYC Teaching Fellow and a Fellow for the Math for America program, a fellowship program for mathematics and science teachers in New York City. The program offers a four-year fellowship with a $60,000 stipend and the opportunity for professional development.

Hussein earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Imperial College in London in 1987. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from St. John’s University in New York in 2015.

LA math teacher Lainey Hodge garners PAEMST

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Exemplary math teacher Lainey Hodge of Monroe, Louisiana, has garnered a prestigious PAEMST. Photo credit: Laney Hodge

There are many exemplary educators working in our nation’s public school classrooms. One of these is Lainey Hodge, a mathematics teacher from Monroe, Louisiana. She garnered a coveted Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) from President Joseph Biden in January, 2025.

The PAEMST recognizes 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 meeting with the President and a $10,000 cash prize.

Lainey Hodge has taught mathematics for 14 years. Currently, she teaches courses in Geometry, Algebra 1, Algebra III, Advanced Math, Financial Literacy, and Math Essentials at Sterlington High School in Quachita Parish. She previously taught at Ouachita Parish High School for three years, Haughton High School for six years, and Minden High School for her first three years as a teacher.

Lainey is highly thought of among her students and colleagues.They particularly appreciate her approach to teaching mathematics. “That’s my job,” she says. “To overcome the stereotype that math is too difficult. I do my best to teach it in a way that makes it easy and fun,”she declares.

In addition to teaching these courses, Lainey is a mentor teacher and content leader who facilitates school and districtwide professional development. She is a teacher leader and advisor for the Louisiana Department of Education. Additionally, she works with Rivet Education, Inc. to review professional development of high-quality instructional materials.

Lainey earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology Education from Louisiana Tech University and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a STEM concentration from Louisiana State University, Shreveport.

In addition to her PAEMST, Lainey was recognized as the 2023 Outstanding High School Teacher by the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics and the 2014 Region 7 Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators.