Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

AZ Sp Ed teacher Tiffani Jaseph named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year

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Special Education educator Tiffani Jaseph of Arizona has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Tiffani Joseph

I am always excited when I can share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. Today, I can share the story of Tiffani Jaseph, a Special Education teacher from Arizona who has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Tiffani teaches kindergarten through fifth grade at Copper View Elementary School in Sahuarita, Arizona.

She had always wanted to be a teacher, Tiffani confesses, even since she was a student in college. After spending some time teaching in general education lasses, she realized her true passion was for special education.

“We must create a learning environment that embraces all learners,” asserts Tiffani. “I am dedicated to empowering diverse students and cultivating equitable educational opportunities, especially within the general education classroom,” she continues. “With a passion for developing and implementing differentiated curricula, I focus on addressing social-emotional needs, supporting students with diverse backgrounds, and championing practices that uplift neuro-divergent learners,” she concludes.

According to Tiffani, what makes an excellent special education teacher? “You need to be open-minded and be flexible, because we’re always learning and trying to figure out what works for our students and what works one day will not work the next day. So you have to be open-minded and flexible,” she responds.

Tiffani earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2005 and her Master’s degree Special Education in 2009, both from the University of Arizona. Her career as a professional educator spans 15 years, 10 of them as a Special Education teacher.

Her State Teacher of the Year honor is not the only recognition Tiffani has earned. She was named Teacher of the Year at both the Yuma and Sahuarita districts, and she was a finalist for Sahuarita District Teacher of the Year.

 

Trailblazing teacher Mildred Crump was also a politician and community activist

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Trailblazing educator Mildred Crumples was also a politician and community activist. Photo credit: Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance

Many excellent school teachers not only dedicate their efforts towards their students, but also work tirelessly to improve the lives of others in their community. This is the case with Mildred Crump, a trailblazing teacher who also devoted her considerable energy to her community as a community activist.

Mildred was born in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 3, 1938, the daughter of a union organizer. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University. There she was named the recipient of the David D. McKenzie Honor Society Award as the “Most Outstanding Female Student for Leadership and Scholarship.” Later Mildred earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University located in Newark, New Jersey.

Mildred inaugurated her career as an educator in Detroit. She became the first African American to teach Braille there. In 1965, Mildred relocated to Newark, New Jersey, where she became the first African American teacher of Braille in the state. For many years, Mildred worked as a teacher and consultant with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Her career as an educator spanned 42 years.

Mildred also contributed to her community through public office. She was elected Newark’s first African-American Councilwoman in 1994, the first African American to serve on the Council in the city’s 336-year history. She served in this role until 2021.

A longtime community activist, Mildred was a tireless advocate for women, children, senior citizens, the disabled, working families and others in need. She served as the president and a member of the Board of Trustees for Integrity House, Inc.; Vice Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Bridge to Recovery; and a charter member of the African American Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. As an advocate for women’s empowerment, she presented workshops on women’s issues throughout the United States, and in many international countries, including China, Ghana, and Nigeria. She was also a founding member of the New Jersey Coalition of 100 Black Women, and a Golden Heritage Life Member of the Newark Branch of the NAACP.

For her work as an educator, politician, and community activist, Mildred garnered many awards. She earned the Susan Burgess Memorial Award for Exemplary Leadership from the National Democratic Municipal Officials. She also received the Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. In 2020, she was inducted into the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Hall of Fame.

Mildred Crump passed away on Dec. 1, 2024, at the age of 86. She is interred at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey. To learn more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to Rutgers.

Sp Ed teacher Tiffany Barnes named West Virginia’s 2026 Teacher of the Year

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Special Education teacher Tiffany Barnes has been named West Virginia’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: CCSSO NTOY

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. Middle school teacher Tiffany Barnes of West Virginia is just such an educator. She has been named her state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

Tiffany teaches Special Education at Wheeling Middle School in Ohio County, West Virginia. In her classroom, the honored educator says the relationships she has formed with her students are the most important element. “Connection is everything,” she says. “If a student doesn’t feel connected, they’re not going to learn. So it’s important to take the extra time to love them and connect with them and get to know them on a personal level,” she continues.

On her campus, Tiffany founded and coaches the Girls on the Run Heart and Sole team. She also established the school’s annual Autism Acceptance 5K race to support Special Education classrooms throughout Ohio County.

Not only is Tiffany a talented educator, she is also a US Army veteran. She served two tours of duty during the Iraq War, where she was as a member of the Military Police. There she earned the Iraq Campaign Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service, an Armed Forces Reserve Medal, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon, and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

In addition to her credentials as a teacher, Tiffany is a certified personal trainer and a performance enhancement specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

In her community, Tiffany initiated the Wreaths Across America program at two local cemeteries. She is a board member for the Martins Ferry Football Mom’s Association and the Education Alliance. And as if all that were not enough, she is an active member of Team Red, White & Blue, where she honors fallen soldiers by running half-marathons with a full rucksack, gas mask and flags. She is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, West Virginia Education Association and Kappa Delta Pi.

Tiffany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from American Military University, and her Master’s degree in Reading from West Liberty University.

 

Blind teacher of the blind, Chalkboard Champion Genevieve Caulfield

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American teacher Genevieve Caulfield pioneered Special Education for the blind in Asian countries. What’s most amazing about her was that she was nearly blind herself! Photo credit: 5000’s Magazine

Our nation’s special education students are truly fortunate to have talented and dedicated teachers working tirelessly on their behalf. One such teacher was Genevieve Caulfield, a teacher for the blind who was, herself, visually challenged.

Genevieve was born on May 8, 1888, in Suffolk, Virginia. When she was only two months of age, she lost her sight when a doctor accidentally spilled a bottle of corrosive medicine over her eyes. A later operation restored some sight to her right eye, but for the rest of her life she saw only shades of gray. Despite her handicap, she taught herself to live like a sighted person, and to be independent and useful.

Genevieve was seventeen years old when an incident involving prejudice and a lack of cultural understanding prompted her to choose a career in teaching. She determined to learn about Japanese culture while helping the blind in their country. It took the persevering  young lady fifteen years to achieve her goal. By then she qualified as a teacher of English, practiced teaching to the blind, and proved she could survive on her own and earn a living.

In 1923, Genevieve traveled to Japan, where she taught English and Braille to blind students. In 1938, after learning that in Thailand, blind children were considered throw-away children, she mastered the difficult Thai language, traveled to that country, and founded the Bangkok School for the Blind, an institution partially financed by her own savings. When World War II ended, the hardworking educator opted to remain in Bangkok and continue her work with her school. From 1956 to 1960, at the invitation of the government of VietNam, Genevieve organized a school for the blind in Saigon. This institution also served as a rehabilitation center for boys.

This Chalkboard Champion received several honors for her many dedicated years of service. In 1961, Genevieve was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. On December 6, 1963, seventy-three-year-old Genevieve received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work for the blind in Asia. The award was authorized by President John F. Kennedy, but due to the young president’s assassination, the honor was bestowed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1960, Genevieve published an autobiography about her achievements entitled The Kingdom Within.

This remarkable educator passed away on December 12, 1972.

Iowa educator Mildred Wood: A trailblazer in the field of Special Ed

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Iowa educator Mildred Wood was a trailblazer in the field of Special Education. Photo credit: Iowa State University

There are many trailblazing educators who have worked diligently for the rights of others in our nation’s public schools. One of these is Mildred H. Wood, an Iowa teacher who campaigned tirelessly for the rights of students with special needs.

Mildred was born on April 19, 1920, in Alta, Iowa. After her graduation from Humboldt High School in 1937, she enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1956, her Master’s degree in 1962, and a post-graduate degree as an Education Specialist in 1963. She earned her PhD from the University of Indiana in 1970. She completed additional courses in child psychology and learning processes from Syracuse University and the University of Oregon.

Mildred inaugurated her career as an educator in the Rowley Consolidated School System in Iowa in 1939. She taught first and second graders that year, a year she considered a personal failure because she felt unable to help one of her students who had both vision and hearing impairments.

As a result of these personal experiences in the classroom and her subsequent pedagogical studies, Mildred went on to become a pioneer in the field of special education in Iowa. In the 1960’s, she became an expert in the recognition and instruction of learning disabilities, emphasizing early identification and tailoring interventions. She developed and taught courses on learning disabilities and integrated principles of child psychology into teacher training programs. She emphasized diagnostic testing and individualized learning strategies for those who had been previously mislabeled or overlooked.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Mildred was also an author and a newspaper column writer. She published a column entitled “Parents and Learning Disabilities” for the Waterloo Courier, and developed policy when she was appointed to the Governor’s Task Force on Education.

For her work on behalf of special needs students, Mildred garnered multiple honors and awards. She was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011, and later that year garnered a 2012 UNI Outstanding Alumnus Award. She also earned the President’s Award from the Iowa Association for Children and Youth with Learning Disabilities, and received the highest honor from Iowa’s Commission of Persons with Disabilities.

Mildred Wood passed away on July 6, 2014. She was 94 years old. She is interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Cedar Falls, Iowa.