Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Covid claims life of Alabama teacher, coach Leo Davidovich, Jr.

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Special Education teacher and coach Leo Davidovich, Jr., of Odenville, Alabama, succumbed to Covid on Sept. 23, 2o2o. Photo credit: CBS 42.

With sadness, we regret to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator and coach. Leo Davidovich, Jr., a middle school teacher in Odenville, Alabama, sucumbed to the disease on Sept. 23, 2020. He was only 47 years old.

Leo taught special education in a small group setting at Odenville Middle School in the St. Clair County School District. He had a reputation for reaching his students with engaging lessons that emphasized the development of functional life skills. He worked tirelessly to make his lessons applicable to his students, and he strongly believed students should be able to use the skills from his classroom later in life. “Leo was beloved by all his students at OMS,” recalled his wife, Cindy, “because his students knew how much he cared for them and loved them.”

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Leo served as the Assistant Softball Coach for nearby Drew Middle School. He also coached travel softball and basketball. He was the Founder and Head Coach of the Thunderstruck Softball Team.

Leo was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 28, 1972. He graduated from Mifflinburg Area High School in 1991. Later he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lycoming College. Lycoming is a nationally-ranked private college located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During his undergraduate college years, Leo was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) Fraternity. Leo earned his Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.

Leo and his wife also owned a family farm in Lincoln, Alabama. Many of his days off from teaching and coaching were spent working on his farm.

To read more about Leo, click on the story about him at this link to CBS 42.

NM Special Ed teacher Leo Lugo succumbs to Covid-19

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With sadness, we report that New Mexico Special Education teacher Leo Lugo succumbed to  Covid-19 on  Oct. 6, 2020. Photo credit: El Paso Times.

With great sadness we announce that yet another educator has succumbed to Covid-19. Leo Lugo, a Special Education teacher in New Mexico, passed away on Oct. 6, 2020. He was 56 years old.

Leo worked at Chaparral High School in the Gadsden Independent School District. Chaparral is a small, unincorporated community near the Texas city of El Paso. The military installations of Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range are nearby.

Although his career as an educator spanned only one year, he made a positive impact on his students. Victoria Lopez, Principal of Chaparral High, recalled that he was a very kind and caring individual who truly wanted the best for his students.

Friend Jacqueline Bravo agreed. “He would always say, ‘echele ganas,’ which means keep going. He would always be like, ‘echele ganas’ Jackie, like you can, you can do it, like we’re almost done and stuff like that,” she remembered. ” think he would want to be remembered as someone–like a good representative of El Paso, and not only that, but a very strong motivating and uplifting man,” she continued.

Before his career as an educator, Leo worked for several Spanish language radio stations, including Estrella 103.1-FM. His career as a radio personality lasted for more than 20 years.

To read more about Leo Lugo, click on this link to his story published by the El Paso Times.

 

Charismatic First Lady Grace Coolidge: She taught the deaf

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Grace Coolidge, former teacher of the deaf  and charismatic First Lady.

Several of our First Ladies have had experience as educators. One of these was Grace Coolidge, wife of President Calvin Coolidge. She taught at the Clarke Institute for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Grace Goodhue was born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Vermont. Following her graduation, she traveled to Massachusetts to study and teach at the Clarke Institute. The school was made famous by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and other prominent educators of the deaf. There she worked first with students in the primary grades and later with middle school students. As a teacher, Grace had a reputation for being charismatic, and for bringing energy and warmth to her classroom. Her students loved her, and she felt she had truly found her calling.

While teaching at the Clarke Institute, she began to date a man who was known for being exceedingly shy and quiet. His name? Calvin Coolidge. In fact, he was so reserved that he became known as “Silent Cal.” During the time Grace and Calvin were dating, he gifted the young teacher with a beautiful illustrated children’s book to share with her students. In the book he wrote this inscription: “I wonder if your students realize what a good teacher you are.”

Grace and Calvin married in 1905, and, following the custom of the day, she retired from the teaching profession. Once they returned from their honeymoon, the ambitious but introverted man launched his career in politics. When President Warren G. Harding passed away in office in 1923, Calvin became president. Grace became First Lady, serving in that roll until her husband left office in 1929. During her tenure, Grace Coolidge did volunteer work for the Red Cross, the Civil Defense, and the Visiting Nurse Association. For this work, she garnered a gold medal from the National Institute of Social Science. In 1931 she was voted one of America’s twelve greatest living women.

To learn more about this amazing educator and First Lady, click on this link to the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Texas Special Ed teacher Carmen Canales succumbs to Covid-19

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Texas Special Education teacher Carmen Canales succumbed to Covid-19 on July 21, 2020. Photo credit: Legacy.com

Sadly, we must report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Carmen Canales, an elementary teacher in San Antonio, Texas, succumbed to the disease on July 21, 2020. She was 48 years old.

The beloved teacher worked in Special Education Inclusion and Resource Intervention at Ira C. Ogden Academy in the San Antonio Independent School District since 2017.

“The loss of Carmen is one that will be felt forever at our school. She was an integral part of our Ogden Lion family,” remarked Nicanora Martinez, Principal of Ogden Academy. “Each day, she gave her best to our students. Her legacy will live on as we remember her as a Lioness who was willing to go above and beyond for the academic, social, and emotional needs of her students,” Martinez continued.

Co-worker Elissa Gonzalez expressed similar sentiments. “I worked with Ms. Canales and observed how dedicated and strong she was,” remembered Elissa. “She was relentless and always put forth her best. I admired her balance of toughness with kindness,” she said. Her friend Yvonne Munoz agreed. “Carmen was such a passionate person and educator who wasn’t afraid to say anything that was on her mind. I admired that about her. I’m glad to have known her. She’ll truly be missed,” she said.

As a young girl, Carmen attended McAllen High School in the town of McAllen,Texas. She graduated in 1991. In 1996, she was certificated as a licensed vocational nurse at Coastal Bend College. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University at Kingsville in 2002.

To read more about this beloved educator, click on this link to her obituary: Carmen Canales.

Wisconsin Special Ed teacher Koren Jackson earns top state honors

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Koren Jackson, a high school Special Education teacher from Milwaukee, is one of five educators selected for their state’s top honors as Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. (Photo credit: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)

I always enjoy sharing stories about excellent teachers who have been recognized for their work in the classroom. One of these is Koren Jackson, a high school Special Education teacher from Milwaukee, who is one of five educators who have earned their state’s honors as Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.

Koren has been employed at Milwaukee Transition High School in the Milwaukee Public School District since 1999. She works with post-expulsion or adjudicated students.To help her students succeed, Koren created a project-based curriculum which gives them multiple opportunities to earn credits towards graduation. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Koren does volunteer work for the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force and the Wisconsin Special Olympics.

Koren has earned other accolades in addition to her state’s top honors. She has been recognized as one of 86 stellar Wisconsin educators to earn a place in the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation’s Teacher Fellowship Program. The program honors and supports teaching excellence and innovation across the state. The honorees were selected by a diverse committee to represent voices, contexts, and perspectives as educational leaders throughout Wisconsin.

Koren earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health at Carroll College in Milwaukee in 1996. She completed the requirements for her post-baccalaureate certification in Special Education (learning disabilities and emotional behavioral disabilities) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2002. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Special Education from Concordia University in 2012. In addition, in 2018, Koren earned an alternative education certification from Concordia University.

In addition to Koren, the other four who were selected as Wisconsin Teachers of the Year were Trisha Kilpin, Brooke Kintzle, Derrick Meyer, and Susan Richardson.

To learn more about Koren, see this link to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.