Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Dedicated teacher Jason Stroups succumbs to Covid-19

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Dedicated high school math instructor and college adjunct professor Jason Stroups succumbed to Covid-19 on Jan. 6, 2022. Photo Credit: Jefferson College

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another dedicated educator. Jason Stroups, a mathematics teacher in Arnold, Missouri, succumbed to the disease on Jan. 6, 2022. He was only 52 years old.

Jason was born on May 11, 1969, in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Science Education from the University of Central Missouri, and his Master’s degree from Southwest Baptist University.

In a career that spanned 30 years, Jason’s first job as an educator was as a permanent substitute teacher in his district. Eventually he worked his way into a job in the Central Office helping students earn their GEDs. From there he accepted a teaching position at Ridgewood Middle School, where he worked from 1993 to1995, and then he moved on to Fox High School, where he taught math from 1995 until his passing. In addition, for more than 20 years, Jason was was an adjunct professor at Jefferson College, Missouri Baptist University, and Maryville University.

“I have had a lot of people say he inspired them to be math teachers or he was the first teacher to get them to understand math,” recalls the fallen teacher’s daughter, Jennifer Stroups. “He really connected with kids who didn’t understand because he had to teach himself in a unique way because he didn’t like school growing up,” she revealed.

Jason worked at the school he attended as a young high school student. He and his wife, Kim, both graduated from Fox High School after attending Seckman Junior High School in Imperial, said Kathy Crandall, the fallen educator’s sister-in-law.

“He was fun loving and family oriented. He was dedicated to teaching and putting others before himself,” shared Jason’s widow, Kim Stroups, who now works as the librarian at Ridgewood Middle School. She commented that even after Jason was diagnosed with Covid-19 and hospitalized, he continued to work. “Even after he was admitted to the hospital and he was on oxygen, he had his computer out and was submitting college grades and answering questions about grades and finals,” she remembered.

Anna Julia Cooper: Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist

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Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist  Anna Julia Cooper, born into slavery, was one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D.  Photo credit: www.blackpast.com.

There are many talented educators who have dedicated themselves to social causes. One of these was Anna Julia Cooper, an African American teacher who was also an abolitionist, activist, and suffragist.

Anna was born into slavery in Raleigh, North Carolina, circa 1858. As a young child, she developed an intense love of learning, even though teaching literacy skills to African Americans were forbidden until after the Civil War. Because of her love of learning, Anna decided to become a teacher. In 1868, when she was only nine years old, Anna garnered a scholarship to St. Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute. The school, now known as St. Augustine’s College, was founded by the local Episcopal Diocese to train teachers to educate former slaves and their families. During her years at St. Augustine’s, Anna earned a reputation as a bright and ambitious student.

In 1879, Anna enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio. There she earned her degree in Mathematics in 1884. She was one of the first African American women to earn a degree at the school. After her graduation, Anna returned to Raleigh where she taught math, Greek, and Latin at St. Augustine’s. In 1887, she moved  to Washington, DC, to teach math and science at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. Later the school was known as the M Street School, and today the institution is called Dunbar High School. The school is the largest and most prestigious public high school for African Americans in the country. During the years she taught at the M Street School, Anna delivered many speeches calling for civil rights and women’s rights and she published A Voice from the South, a well-known book on the subject.

A lifelong learner, Anna studied French literature and history for several years before enrolling at Columbia University in 1914. There she pursued her Ph.D. At the time, she was also teaching full time. In 1924, Anna continued her studies at the University of Paris at the Sorbonne in France. In 1925 she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, which explored the attitudes of the French people toward slavery during the late 18th century in France and Haiti. With this accomplishment, she was only the fourth African American woman in the US to earn a doctorate and the first Black woman from any country to do so at the Sorbonne.

To learn more about this amazing educator, click on this link for Rutgers.

Georgia teachers Sean and Heidi Hammond succumb to Covid-19

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Elementary school teacher Heidi Hammond (left) and her husband, Sean Hammond, a teacher at Hammond Creek Middle School (right), have both succumbed to Covid-19. The deaths leave their son, Marshall, age 12 (center), to be raised by grandparents. Photo credit: Daily Citizen News.

 

Two beloved educators from Dalton, Georgia, have succumbed to Covid-19. Heidi Hammond, a teacher at Chatsworth Elementary School, passed away in September, just 25 days after her husband, Sean Hammond, who was due to begin his first year as a teacher and football coach at Hammond Creek Middle School. Heidi passed away on Sept. 24, 2021, at the age of 44. Sean passed away on Aug. 30, 2021, at the age of 51. The deaths leave their son, Marshall, age 12, to be raised by grandparents.

Heidi was born on August 21, 1977. In a career that spanned more than 20 years, she was teaching first grade at Chatsworth Elementary at the time of her passing. Sean was born on March 3, 1970. The couple met when they were attending college at Marshall University in West Virginia. They lived in northern Georgia’s Murray County for about 20 years after their graduation.

Sean was a seasoned veteran in the classroom. Because of the low pay, he had left teaching for a period of time to work in the coal mines. However, recently he was lured back to the classroom. He was set to begin his first year at Hammond Creek Middle School. He would have taught special education mathematics and coached football.

Previously, Sean coached a youth program, and occasionally substituted on his son’s team at Hammond Middle when the regular coaches were absent. While substituting, Sean caught the attention of George Woods IV, Head Football Coach at the school. “He was able to step right in and really coach, and I was like, wow, this guy’s really good,” remembered Woods. “So I did some homework on him and found out that he’s just a really humble guy, and he probably had as much or more coaching experience as I have,” Woods continued. When the brand new middle school coaching staff was formed, Woods convinced Sean to join the team.

Dalton Public Schools spokeswoman Pat Holloway said that Sean attended the induction for new teachers prior to the beginning of the school year and the first three days of inservice before he tested positive for Covid-19. Because of his diagnosis, Holloway reported, Sean was unable to start the school year with students in the classroom. However, he had worked with the football players during the summer and, Holloway asserted, he “had already left an indelible mark on the other coaches and players.”

To learn more about these two teachers, see this article published by the Daily Citizen News.

Christy Trombetta named Michigan Virtual Online Teacher of the Year

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Christy Trombetta, a senior math instructor in Grand Ile, Michigan, has been named a 2021 Michigan Virtual Online Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Michigan Virtual.

Educator Christy Trombetta of Gross Ile, Michigan, has been named a 2021 Michigan Virtual Online Teacher of the Year. Each year since 2009, Michigan Virtual has recognized outstanding online educators through this award. Those educators who earn the award have been selected for their positive impact on students, their continuous improvement of practice, and their vision for the future of online education. 

Christy has been a senior math instructor with Michigan Virtual since 2018. She has been praised for her ability to help her students master concepts by working with them on their unique challenges. For this award, Christy received numerous nomination letters. One of her students wrote, “Once I reached out to Mrs. Trombetta I started getting better scores while genuinely understanding the content. Right now I’m ahead of where I thought I would be thanks to her patience, teaching methods, and dedication.” 

In a letter from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Christy was praised for her dedication and contribution to student success. “Over the past year, you have shown exceptional commitment to your students and outstanding devotion to building a strong educational foundation in Michigan,” the governor wrote in her letter. “This past year has been a difficult one, however, through your determination, insight, and leadership, you have persevered and instilled the joy of learning in countless students and led them to grow into strong, resilient individuals,” Governor Whitmer continued. 

Christy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Western Michigan University. She earned her Master’s degree in Mathematics at Eastern Michigan University. In addition, she completed graduate courses at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Before working at Michigan Virtual, she held teaching positions with the Covenant House Academy Southwest, Westwood Community Schools, and Taylor Public Schools, all in Michigan.

 

Covid-19 claims life of Kentucky teacher Amanda Nutt

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Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Math teacher Amanda Nutt of Horse Cave, Kentucky, succumbed to the disease on Sept. 15, 2021. Photo credit: Winn Funeral Home.

Sadly, we must report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of another beloved educator. Amanda Nutt, a math teacher in Cave, Kentucky, succumbed to the disease on Sept. 15, 2021. She was just 36 years old.

Amanda taught at Caverna High School in the Caverna Independent School District in Horse Cave. She taught in the district for six years. Teaching was a lifelong passion for the fallen educator. “I wanted to be the teacher that I needed when I was younger,” Amanda once said. “And I strive to be the teacher that incorporates fun and active learning in the classroom.”

For her work in the classroom, Amanda earned many accolades. She was named Hart County Teacher of the Year in 2020, and she earned a B.H. Weaver Outstanding Educator of the Year the same year. She also garnered an Excellence in Teaching Award from Campbellsville University in 2019. In addition, she was also nominated for the 2020 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award and the Western Kentucky University Distinguished Educator Award.

Amanda’s passion for the field of education was very evident. She was selected to be a GoTeachKy ambassador. Through that organization, she helped the Kentucky Department of Education recruit new educators to the profession in an attempt to address a critical teacher shortage currently affecting the state.

When she was not teaching, Amanda was an avid music fan who spent time working with bands and photographing concerts.

The Chalkboard Champion earned her degree at Western Kentucky University. At the time of her passing, she was pursuing her Ph.D. degree in Educational Leadership from the same institution and was on track to graduate this year.