Tag Archives: Teacher Politicians

West Virginia’s Ginny Starcher: Educator and politician

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West Virginia’s Ginny Starcher was an exemplary educator and also an accomplished politician. Photo credit: Charleston Gazette Mail.

In our country’s history, there are many examples of fine classroom educators who also became excellent politicians. One of these was Ginny Starcher, a teacher from West Virginia who also served in her state’s House of Delegates.

Ginny, whose birth name was Virginia, was born on February 23, 1930, in Wheeling, West Virginia. As a youngster, she attended schools in Cameron, West Virginia. Following her high school graduation she enrolled at West Virginia University. After earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Ginny taught at Ripley High School in Ripley, West Virginia. Later she taught at Schenectady High School in New York.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Ginny also worked for the Federal government. For a while she was employed at the Central Intelligence Agency. She also worked for the Library of Congress. Later, she served as a commissioner for Jackson County in her home state. In 1986, Virginia was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates on the Democratic ticket. There she represented the 11th District, which included Jackson County. In 1988 she was elected to a second term, and once she served that term, she retired. Ginny was the first woman elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates representing Jackson County.

In addition to her work as an educator and politician, Ginny also served as the President of Jackson General Hospital Auxiliary, as a member of the Board of the Jackson County Library, and as a member of the Board of the Health Department Board. She also belonged to the Pilot Club, the Jackson County Democrat Woman’s Club, and the Ripley Garden Club.

This accomplished educator and politician passed away on December 19, 2012, at Hubbard Hospice House in Charleston, West Virginia, following a lengthy illness. She was 82 years of age. To learn more about Ginny Starcher, see this obituary published by Tribute Archive.

Idaho teacher, politician, and LGBTQ activist Nicole LeFavour

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Idaho teacher, politician, and LGBTQ activist Nicole LeFavour has served in both her state’s House of Representatives and State Senate. Photo credit: Creative Commons.

Often talented classroom teachers also distinguish themselves as skillful politicians. One of these is Nicole LeFavour, an elementary school teacher and LGBTQ rights activist from Boise, Idaho, who has also served in both her state’s House of Representatives and State Senate.

Nicole was born on Feb. 8, 1964, in Colorado. She was raised in Custer County, Idaho, and as an adult established herself in Boise in 1990. Nicole earned her Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley in 1987. She also attended San Francisco State University, where she graduated in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Fine Arts in Writing from the University of Montana, Missoula, in 1990. In addition, in 2010, Nicole completed a course of study from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she attended as the LGBTQ Leadership Fellow.

Nicole is certified to teach English, Art, Life Science, and Social Science. She inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a fifth and sixth grade teacher at the Boise River School, where she taught in 1991. In 1996, she was working as an eighth grade teacher at Fort Boise Middle High School. Nicole has also worked as an instructor of Freshman Composition at the University of Montana from 1989 to 1990. She has taught writing to young adults and at-risk youth at The Cabin Literary Center for more than two decades, and for the past 12 years she has taught at the Writers at Harriman program.

After she left the classroom, this exemplary educator was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Idaho House of Representatives, where she represented District 19 from 2004 to 2008. While there, she served on the Committees for Environment, Energy, and Technology; Judiciary; and Revenue and Taxation. She left the House to represent District 19 in the Idaho State Senate in 2008, and served there until 2012. There she served on the Senate Committees for Education; Health and Welfare; Commerce; and Judiciary and Rules. Nicole was the first openly gay member of the Idaho legislature, and she has been an untiring activist for gay rights.

For her work as a legislator, Nicole has earned many accolades. In 2008, she was named Legislator of the Year by the Idaho State Planning Council on Mental Health. In 2001, she garnered the Women Making History Award from Boise State University Women’s Center. That same year, she earned a United Nations Human Rights Day Award by the Idaho Voices of Faith for Human Rights.

To learn more about Nicole LeFavour, see her website at http://www.4idaho.org/.

Teacher Sarah Fain one of Virginia’s first women politicians

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Virginia school teacher Sarah Fain was one of the first two women elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Photo credit: Dictionary of Virginia Biography.

Many talented educators have also earned success in the political realm. One such educator is Sarah Fain, a public school teacher from Virginia who was one of the first two women to be elected to her state’s House of Delegates.

Sarah was born on Nov. 23. 1888, in Norfolk Virginia. She was educated first at Leache-Wood Seminary. She graduated from Hemmingway High School in 19097. Following her high school graduation, Sarah taught for 12 years in elementary schools in the Norfolk public school system. During her summer breaks, she enrolled in summer courses at the University of Virginia. The university did not offer diplomas to women in her day, but still Sarah managed to earn enough credits to qualify as the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Administration.

When World War I broke out, Sarah volunteered for the Norfolk Red Cross, and she sold Liberty bonds to help financially support the war. When the 19th Amendment was ratified, she joined the League of Women voters and became active in Democratic Party politics. In 1923, the former teacher was elected to the House of Delegates becoming one of the two first women to serve in that political body. She served  total of three terms in the House. As a delegate, Sarah focused on issues that were important to her constituents, especially education and maritime laws. During her last term, she chaired the prestigious Committee on Schools and Colleges. In addition, she voted for an anti-lynching bill that was then the strictest in the nation.

During the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sarah was appointed to serve in several New Deal agencies, including the National Emergency Council, where she helped establish the United States Information Service and served as its first chief. She later directed a homestead community project and supervised a rural family resettlement program.

In 1938, Sarah moved to San Marino, California, and continued to participate in local politics. It was there that she passed away on July 20, 1962. She was buried at Norfolk’s Elmwood Cemetery.

To learn more about Sarah Fain, see this article about her in the Dictionary of Virginia Biography published by the Library of Virginia.

Michigan’s Collene Lamonte: Science educator and politician

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Because of their finely-developed leadership skills, many teachers make excellent politicians. One of these is Collene Lamonte, a high school science educator who also served in the Michigan State House of Representatives. Photo credit: Michigan House Democrats.

Because of their finely-developed leadership skills, many classroom teachers make excellent politicians. One of these was Collene Lamonte, a high school math and science educator who also served in the Michigan State House of Representatives.

Collene was raised in a working-class family in Macomb County’s New Baltimore, a suburb north of Detroit. Her father owned and operated Schmid Marina on Anchor Bay of Lake St. Clair, a 300-slip seasonal facility.

Collene earned her Bachelor’s degree in General Science Education, with a minor in Mathematics, from Saginaw Valley Sate University. This institution of higher learning is a public university located in University Center, Michigan. It was founded in 1963 as Saginaw Valley College. During her college years, Colleen was named to both the President’s and the Dean’s List; in fact, she graduated summa cum laude. In addition, she was a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society.

After she earned her degree, Collene taught high school physics and physical science in Muskegon Public Schools from 2007 to 2012, a total of five years. There she developed a hands-on, inquiry-based program with projects, experiments, activities, and research assignments that were designed to stimulate critical thinking skills. Through her instructional program, the innovative teacher improved test scores and student performance on state standardized tests.

In 2012, the former teacher was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Michigan State House of Representatives. There she served the 91st District from 2013 to 2014.. Her committee assignments included the Education Committee, Energy and Technology, and Financial Services.

Today, Collene works as a Field Services Representative for MESSA, the Michigan Education Special Services Association located in East Lansing, Michigan. She has worked in this capacity since 2018.

To learn more about Collene, see her website at Michigan House Democrats.

Former teacher Eileen R. Donovan serves as US Ambassador

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Many fine classroom teachers also establish excellent careers as diplomats. One of these was Eileen Donovan, a teacher from Massachusetts who once served as the American ambassador to Barbados.

Eileen was born in Boston. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Boston Teachers College in 1936. She earned her Master’s degree in Education in 1937. In addition, Eileen attended Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration, an institution now known as the John F. Kennedy School of Government. There she became a foreign Service Institute Fellow, and she earned a Master’s degree of Public Administration.

From 1938 to 1943, Eileen worked as a history teacher in the Boston Public Schools. During World War II, the intrepid educator joined the Women’s Air Corps. “I went down to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, and trained and was lucky enough to be sent to the Officer Candidate School in Des Moines, came out as a 2nd Lieutenant,” Eileen once remembered. “Then I did various things in this country, like teaching at Oglethorpe such
fascinating subjects as Military Customs and Courtesies and Articles of War and things
like that.” She also served as the primary assistant to General Douglas MacArthur at the Tokyo headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

The former educator began her career in the Foreign Service in 1948, serving in the Philippines, Italy, and Japan, where she was a political liaison officer. In the late 1950’s she became chief of the Southern Europe branch of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research within the State Department.

From 1965 to 1969, Eileen served as Assistant Director of the State Department’s Office of Caribbean Affairs before her assignment to Barbados as Ambassador. With that assignment, she became the highest ranking woman in the Foreign Service. She served as the American Ambassador to Barbados from 1969 to 1974.

This remarkable educator and diplomat passed away from cardio-respiratory arrest on Dec. 19, 1996, in Spring Hill, Florida. She was 81 years old. To read more about this chalkboard Champion, read this interview published by The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, Women Ambassadors Series.