Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Kentucky teacher and politician Tina Bojanowski

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Elementary school teacher Tina Bojanowski also serves in the Kentucky State House of Representatives. Photo credit: tinaforkentucky.com

Many fine educators also achieve success in careers in politics. One of these is Tina Bojanowski, an elementary school teacher who also serves her community in the Kentucky State House of Representatives.

Tina was born August 29, 1964, and she was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. After she graduated from Louisville Central High School in 1982, Tina earned first her Bachelor’s degree in 1986, and then her Master’s in Business Administration in 1991, both from the University of Louisville. In 2010, she earned a second Master’s degree, a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Education, and in 2017, she graduated with her Ph.D. Both the MAT and the Ph.D. were from Bellarmine University. Even as a student, Tina’s talent as an educator was evident. In 2009, she garnered the Bellarmine Outstanding Prospective Educator Award.

As an educator, Tina teaches Special Education at Watterson Elementary School in Louisville. The school is part of the Jefferson County Public School District. She has taught there for the past 11 years. Previously, she served as the Manager and Head Coach of the Kentucky Gymnastics Academy, a position she held for 29 years.

In 2018, Tina was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. There she represents District 32. Her term will continue to 2022. Among the committees she is a member of are the Committee on Education; Transportation; and Health, Welfare, and Family Services. As a legislator, Tina steadfastly supports education. High quality public education for all is a critical component of our society,” she declares. “It is time to shift the focus in education away from testing and toward deeper learning for all students,” she continues.

This hardworking educator also belongs to several community organizations. For example, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Jefferson County Teachers Association and a member of the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

To learn more about Tina, see this article written about her published by Emerge Kentucky.

 

Covid-19 claims life of Ohio teacher Amanda Chowning

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Sadly, Covid-19 has claimed the life of Amanda Chowning, a special education teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo credit: John H. Evans Funeral Home.

Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Amanda Chowning, a Special Education teacher and Intervention Specialist from Cincinnati, Ohio,, succumbed to the disease on May 25, 2021. She was just 36 years old.

Amanda was born on June 10, 1984, in Mariemont, Ohio. As a young girl, she graduated from Milford High School. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from the University of Cincinnati in 2009.

Amanda taught as Trojan Way High School located in North College Hill, Cincinnati. The school is an alternative learning center which offers intensive supports such as behavior modification groups, mental health counseling, and social skills training to equip students with the skills and strategies to successfully return to their home school, transition to a post-secondary educational setting, or enter into the world of work.

From 2011 to 2014, Amanda worked at The Children’s Home in Cincinatti. While employed at that facility, Amanda worked towards improving students’ lives through comprehensive education, behavioral services, and health services.

To read more about Amanda Chowning, see this obituary published by John H. Evans Funeral Home.

Kansas Special Ed teacher Juan Yanez succumbs to Covid-19

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Special Education teacher Juan Yanez of Derby, Kansas, succumbed to Covid-19 in Feb., 2021. Photo credit: Derby Informer.

Sadly we report the passing of yet another beloved educator who has succumbed to Covid-19. Juan Yanez, a Special Education teacher in Derby, Kansas, succumbed to the disease in February, 2021.

For nine years, the beloved educator had been a teacher at Oaklawn Elementary School in the Derby Pubic School District located in Wichita, Kansas. Previously he had taught at Wineteer Elementary and Pleasantview Elementary.

Colleague Joe Addis described Juan as someone who “definitely, really cared about kids. That really showed in everything that he did,” Addis said. “He just worked hard to build connections with the students that he worked with. That was something that always really impressed me about him,” Addis remembered. He said also observed Juan’s teaching style, commenting that the fallen educator used his sense of humor and his genuine passion to make connections with students. “He did a lot of really good incentive work, I thought, with students to really help them be encouraged to come to the room and give their best, Addis concluded.

Juan’s compassion for youngsters with special needs extended to adults with special needs as well. In early March, 2020, before the pandemic caused nationwide shut-downs, Juan and fellow Special Education teacher Jennifer Nulik organized a community service project at Pleasantview Elementary School. The project was designed to provide employment resources and opportunities for special needs students and adults. The project was part of Juan’s course work in his Master’s program at Wichita State University. The effort resulted n the First Annual Tri-County Career/Resources Fair. To read more about the event, see this article published by the Derby Informer.

Nebraska teacher Stephanie J. Keller succumbs to Covid-19

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Sadly, we report that Special Education teacher Stephanie J. Keller of Papillion, Nebraska, has succumbed to Covid-19. Photo credit: Tribute Archives.

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Stephanie J. Keller of Papillion, Nebraska, succumbed to the disease on April 5, 2021.

Stephanie was born on September 7, 1981, in Sioux City, Iowa. She attended East High School, where she participated in band and choir. These activities gave her the opportunity to indulge in her love for travel. Following her high school graduation in 2000, she attended Morningside College in her home town of Soiux City. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. While at Morningside, Stephanie was crowned Homecoming Queen in 2003. In college, she spent her summers working at Camp Foster in Okobjoki, Iowa. Later she earned her Master’s degree from Wayne State College located in Wayne, Nebraska.

Once she completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree, Stephanie accepted her first teaching position at South Sioux City Schools, where she remained for eight years. In 2011, Stephanie married Kevin Keller. The couple moved to Papillion, Nebraska, where the experienced educator accepted a position as a Special Education teacher at G. Stanley Hall Elementary School. Stephanie and her husband also became foster parents to six children.

Unfortunately, the beloved educator contracted Covid-19, and succumbed to the disease on April 5, 2021. She was just 39 years old. Read her obituary at this link to Tribute Archive.

Nevada’s Juliana Urtubrey: Finalist for 2021 National Teacher of the Year

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Congratulations are due to Nevada educator Juliana Urtubrey. She has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year Award. Photo credit: University of Arizona College of Education.

Congratulations are due to Nevada educator Juliana Urtubrey. She has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year Award. She is the first Latina from Nevada to be selected as a finalist for the award.

Juliana works as a hybrid educator at Kermit R. Booker, Sr., Innovative Elementary School in the Clark Coiunty Public School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. There she serves as a co-teacher in pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade special education settings and as an instructional strategist developing school-wide Multi-Tiered System of Supports for academic, social-emotional, and behavioral interventions.

Before Juliana worked at Booker, she taught special education in the resource setting at Crestwood Elementary School. There the honored educator earned the nickname “Ms. Earth” in response to her work in beautifying her school and community with gardens and murals.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Juliana is a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Teacher Fellow, a Nevada Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow, an Understood Teacher Fellow and mentor, a Nevada Department of Education Superintendent Teacher Advisory Cabinet member, a National Board Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators founding Board member, and a learning facilitator with the Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute.

For her work in the field of education, Juliana has earned many accolades. She is a recipient of the 2019 Chicanos por La Causa Esperanza Latina Teaching Award; a recipient of the 2019 Hispanic Education Association of Nevada Teacher of the Year; and a 2018 Roger’s Foundation Heart of Education Winner.

Juliana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Elementary Education in 2009 and her Master’s degree in Special Bilingual Education in 2011, both from the University of Arizona. In addition, she is a National Board-Certified Teacher (Exceptional Needs Specialist, Early Childhood and Young Adults).

To read more about this exceptional educator, see the article about her published by the State of Nevada Department of Education.