Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Special Ed teacher Carol King-Grant of South Bronx, NYC, succumbs to Covid-19

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Beloved Special Education teacher Carol King-Grant, who taught sixth grade in South Bronx, succumbed to Covid-19 on April 6, 2020.

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of yet another beloved educator who has succumbed to Covid-19. Carol King-Grant, a Special Education teacher from the South Bronx in New York City, passed away on April 6, 2020. She was 58 years old.

Carol taught sixth grade at Mott Hall Science and Technology Academy. The school offers a rigorous math, science, and technology curriculum. In addition, the staff strives to create a school culture characterized by academic excellence, healthy personal growth for all students, and a strong belief that all students can succeed in their endeavors.

Carol’s career at Mott spanned only four years. Although her time there was short, Carol was known for her unfailing smile, her kind heart, and her devotion to her students. Those who knew her also appreciated her sense of humor, her hard work, and her candor. “As a fellow educator, I am so proud of the woman my cousin Carol King-Grant was,” remarked mourner Aziza Leitch. “She never spared words, and you always knew exactly what she was thinking!”

Among her interests outside of the classroom were gardening, completing sudoku puzzles, and reading. In addition, Carol was a talented singer and an avid coin collector. She was adept at interior decorating. She was a member of the Liberty Bible Fellowship Church in Ozone Park, Queens, and supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

To read more about Carol, see her obituary published by the United Federation of Teachers.

NYC Special Ed teacher Alyssa Pantilieris succumbs to coronavirus

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Special Education teacher Alyssa Pantilieris from PS/MS 15 in the Bronx, New York, succumbed to the coronavirus on April 5, 2020.

Sadly, the coronavirus has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Alyssa Pantilieris, a special education teacher in New York City, succumbed to the disease on April 5, 2020. She was only 45 years old.

Alyssa was born on November 11, 1974, in Catskill, New York. She was raised in Greenville, Green County, New York. While in high school, Alyssa was selected to be an exchange student to Denmark. In fact, she could speak Danish, Spanish, and Gtreek fluently. Alyssa graduated from Greenville Central School in 1992. After her graduation, she enrolled at the State University of New York, New Paltz. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree. She then completed courses at Hunter College, and then earned her Master’s degree at Phoenix University.

Alyssa launched her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a special education teacher at PS/MS 15. The school is also known as the Institute of Environment Learning. Her career there spanned nearly 20 years. Over the course of her career, she established a reputation as a staunch advocate for her students, both in and out of the classroom. She often bought lunch for her kids, organized field trips for them, tutored them after school, and bought them books to read. She even started a book club for her fifth graders.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Alyssa was an avid animal lover. She supported the Trampled Rose Ranch Animal Rescue and the Broome Animal Sanctuary.

To read more about this beloved educator, read her obituary published by the United Federation of Teachers, or  UFT.

Retired special ed teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal succumbs to Covid-19

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Covid-19 has claimed he life of yet another educator. Retired elementary special education teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal of Connecticut succumbed to the disease on April 16, 2020.

With sadness, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another educator. Retired elementary special education teacher Phyllis Ehrenthal of Connecticut succumbed to the disease on April 16, 2020. She was 84 years old.

Phyllis was born on August 13, 1935 and raised in the Bronx borough in New York. As a young girl in the Great Depression, she was a talented and dedicated student. She attended Music and Art High School in New York City. She studied the visual arts there. Upon her graduation, she enrolled at Hunter College in New York City. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.

As a teacher, Phyllis worked at several schools. Eventually she landed at Fox Run School in Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut, where she worked with special education students for 25 years. During her years at Fox Run, Phyllis earned a reputation for encouraging every child to live up to their potential. She encouraged each one to choose their own life goals.

Once Phyllis retired from the teaching profession, she pursued a career as a family therapist. She worked diligently to strengthen the relationships between parents and their teenage children. During this time she also revived her childhood passion for art. She produced many fine oil paintings as a member of a cohort of artists at Weir Farm in Wilton, Connecticut.

To read more about Phyllis, see this online article at Legacy.com.

Elem special ed teacher Katya Robinson named one of five California Teachers of the Year 

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Elementary special education teacher Katya Robinson of Sebastopol in West Sonoma County has been named one of five California 2020 Teachers of the Year  (Photo credit: The Press Democrat)

I love to share stories about teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One such teacher is Katya Robinson, an elementary school educator from Sebastopol, California. She was named one of five of California’s 2020 Teachers of the Year.

Katya teaches special education for kindergarten through third grade at West Sonoma County Consortium School in Sebastopol. Her instructional program emphasizes interaction between her special education students and regular education students. “I believe it’s the educator’s job to open doors for our students, especially during their early years,” Katya told Sonoma West Times & News. “I spend a lot of time creating opportunities to learn and breaking down boundaries to their learning,” she continued.

Katya graduated from Piner High School in Santa Rosa, where she had played varsity soccer and basketball. Once she began to work with her special education students, she quickly noticed a lack of athletic and recreational opportunities for her kids. In 2012, she founded Epic Athletes, an organization which offers free basketball and soccer programs for special needs children.

Katya lost her house in the devastating Tubbs Fire in 2017. The call from California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond to tell her she had been selected as she was conducting a walk-through of her newly rebuilt home.

The other three honored educators from California include Sean Bui of Fremont, Brenda Chavez-Bararras of Perris, Gus Myers of Burbank, and Mandy Kelly of Saddleback. To read more about Katya, see this article at The Press Democrat.

New Jersey teachers establish food bank to help sheltering-at-home students

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High school teachers Kelly and Cori Carroll of Hackensack High School in Hackensack, New Jersey, established a food bank to help their sheltering-at-home students.

How wonderful it is that many dedicated educators work not only on behalf of their students, but also on behalf of their communities. This is true of teacher Kelly Carroll and his wife Cori, who teach at Hackensack High School in Hackensack, New Jersey. The couple has opened a food bank in their front yard to help feed their needy students and their families.

Kelly teaches culinary arts and Cori teaches special education. When the school first closed in mid-February to comply with the state’s shelter-at-home order, Kelly began making house calls to the homes of his students to discuss home schooling assignments. He suggested to parents that they prepare one meal each day together and then send him a photograph of their work. One parent, however, confessed that she was too embarrassed to show him what she had been feeding her children since she’d been out of work. That’s when Kelly decided he needed to do something to help.

Hackensack High School Culinary Arts teacher Kelly Carroll and his wife, Special Education teacher Cori Carroll, help feed their needy students.

Kelly and Cori started asking their students and parents if they needed groceries. About 15 families indicated they were in need. And then the couple learned there was no food bank in their area to help. That’s when they decided to organize their own food bank to help the needy families.

Kelly has a friend who manages a division of Farmer’s Fridge in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company makes healthy meals for vending machines. The friend offered to donate a shipment of organic salads and sandwiches that. Kelly drove to Carlstadt, picked up 12 crates of pre-made meals, and sorted them into bags for the families of each of the needy students.

Before long, more needy families asked for the donated meals. And within a few weeks, more and more individuals contributed donations of food and cash to the Carrolls. The couple is now feeding approximately 200 families each week. They are also providing necessary household items such as diapers for those families who have toddlers at home.

The effort has caught the attention of Robert Sanchez, Superintendent of Hackensack Schools. “The care and compassion that they have demonstrated for our families during this pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Sanchez asserts. “We are very proud that they are part of our amazing school system,” he continues.

For the Kelly, the effort is part of his desire to teach his students good citizenship in addition to content. “I want my kids to grow up knowing that this is what you’re supposed to do in times like this.”

To read more about these two Challkboard Champions, see this link at northjersey.com.