Helen Agcaoili Brown, a former third grade teacher in Los Angeles, California, founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library. Photo Credit: UCLA Alumni Association

Students in our country are so fortunate to have many talented Chalkboard Champions in our schools. One of these is Helen Agcaoili Brown, a California teacher who is the founder of the Filipino American Reading Room and Library.

Helen was born May 16, 1915, in Manila, the Philippines. Her family immigrated to the United States shortly after her graduation from Manila Central High School in 1934. As a young woman, Helen studied first at Pasadena City Junior College, and then at the University of California, Los Angeles. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Social Work.

After she earned her college degree, Helen accepted a position as a third grade teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California. Her career as a professional educator there spanned many years.

In 1985, Helen founded the Filipino American Reading Room and Library, the first of its kind in the country. To enlarge the library’s collection, she donated her private library collection. She realized the value of the library she inherited from her father, and she worked diligently to build on it by collecting books, pamphlets, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and even the souvenir programs given out during the events of various Filipino organizations. She believed that nothing was too insignificant when it came to preserving the social history of Filipinos in the United States. In addition to founding the library, she also served as the facility’s librarian.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on January 25, 2011. She was 95 years old.

The Filipino American Library is located at 135 N. Park View St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. You can visit their website at Filipino Library.

Middle school Media Specialist Lara Rude has garnered a 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Utah Education Association. Photo credit: Park City School District

Among our nation’s Chalkboard Champions are many outstanding Teacher Librarians. One of these is Lara Rude, a middle school Media Specialist from Park City, Utah. She is one of ten educators in her state who have received a 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Utah Education Association.

Lara works with sixth and seventh graders at Ecker Hill Middle School in the Park City School District. Among her co-workers, Lara has a reputation for promoting a love for reading and literacy that influences the entire school community. For example, Lara established a “One Book, One School” program on her campus. In this program, all students read and discuss the same story. In addition, Lara arranges for authors to visit the school, fostering a deep connection between students and reading.

Maryland Teacher Librarian Melaney Sanchez creates innovative experiential learning activities for her elementary school students. She was featured recently in an issue of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Magazine. Photo credit: Bay Weekly

One of the most valuable resources in our nation’s educational community is our Teacher Librarians. And one of the best of them is Melaney Sanchez, who works at an elementary school in Calvert County, Maryland. In fact, she was featured recently in an issue of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Magazine.

Melaney works with students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade at Mount Harmony Elementary School. There she supports the schools teachers as she works with students at every grade level throughout all their years at the school. And she is passionate about the work. “I adore my job and the possibilities it brings for programming an cultural arts,” she declares.

As a Teacher Librarian, Melaney creates experiential learning activities, and has especially focussed on activities that bring President George Washington and Mount Vernon into the curriculum. She organized a “wax museum” where fifth grade students chose to portray key historical figures such as Paul Revere, Deborah Sampson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and others. The students prepared a monologue, and when approached, they speak as that figure and remain in character to answer questions. “Historical figures must come alive to motivate students to ask for more,” Melaney asserts. “When students care they will seek more knowledge, more books, additional websites, and more experience in and out of school,” she continues. She notes that the effort encourages students to become lifelong learners.

The innovative Teacher Librarian also presents lessons that include debates between American patriots led by George Washington and loyalists led by King George. “They throughly enjoyed learning about how Washington used spies to outwit the British,” Melaney observes.

Melaney earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies, Language Arts, and Early Childhood Education from the University of Michigan, Flint, in 1992. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Instructional Leadership from Notre Dame of Maryland University in 2012. Her career as an educator spans 26 years.

Texas educator Lucia Rede Madrid was honored by two American presidents and inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her volunteer work as a local librarian. Photo Credit: Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

There are many fine educators who have contributed to the development of America’s border-town communities. One of these was Lucia Rede Madrid, a dedicated teacher from the border town of Redford, Texas.

Lucia Rede was born in Polvo, Texas, on January 8, 1913. She was the sixth of eight children born to Eusébio Rede and Antonia Luján, who had settled in the area in 1870. When Lucia was only 12 years old, her family relocated to the tiny community of Marfa, West Texas.

Lucia was born to be a teacher. As a young girl, she helped to educate her brothers and sisters. In fact, seven of the eight Rede children became teachers. Lucia earned both her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Education, both from Sul Ross State University. Sul Ross is a public institution of higher learning located in Alpine, in the Big Bend region of the far western part of Texas. After earning her degrees, Lucia taught at public schools in Marfa and Redford for 23 years.

After her retirement from the classroom in 1976, the dedicated educator established a private lending library in the isolated border town of Redford in 1979. She started the library with just 25 books. By 1992, the collection included over 15,000 volumes. The institution gained national attention and still functions today as a library and museum. Current library holdings include Lucia’s personal Library Hall of Fame, a collection of portraits of individuals who were children in Redford that have gone on to successful careers as engineers, doctors, teachers, and accountants.

For her work as a pioneer educator and librarian, this Chalkboard Champion has garnered many accolades. She was once featured on the NBC Today Show, and a story about her was published in National Geographic in February, 1984. The story was entitled “West of Pecos.” In addition, Lucia was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush in 1990, and the Ronald Reagan Award for Volunteer Excellence. In 1989, Lucia was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Lucia passed away at the age of 90, but her work has not been forgotten!