Tag Archives: Teacher Politicians

Maryland teacher Barbara Kreamer served in House of Delegates

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Maryland English and Creative Writing teacher Barbara Kreamer also served in her state’s House of Delegates.

Often exceptional educators become hardworking politicians. One of these is Barbara Kreamer, a Maryland English teacher who also served in her state’s House of Delegates.

Barbara was born on December 8, 1948. As a young woman, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Washington College in 1970. She earned her Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1975.

After earning her college degrees, Barbara accepted a position as a teacher of English and Creative Writing at Bel Air High School, a public school located in Bel Air, Maryland. She taught there from 1971 to 1976.

After leaving the classroom, Barbara enrolled at the University of Maryland School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctorate in 1989. Then she practiced law for 14 years. In 1981, Barbara was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Maryland House of Delegates, where she served from 1982 to 1990. She also served on the Harford County Council from 1978 to 1982. While on the County Council, she persuaded her fellow elected leaders to increase funding for public education. Next, the former teacher was elected to two terms of the Maryland General Assembly, representing District 34, Harford County. She served there from 1983 until 1991. While in this office, she sponsored legislation to support education and employment.

In addition to her responsibilities in office, Barbara served on the Maryland Commission for Women and Maryland Women’s Political Caucus. She also served as the President of the Maryland Association of Elected Women in 1985. In addition, Barbara garnered awards from both the Maryland Psychologists Association and the Maryland Jousting Association.

Currently, Barbara Kreamer is retired from the classroom and from politics. She resides in Aberdeen, Maryland. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this interview published by the Baltimore Sun.

 

Biden names Dr. Miguel Cardona as new Secretary of Education

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President-Elect Joe Biden has chosen his new Secretary of Education. The nominee is Dr. Miguel Cardona, a professional educator from Connecticut.  (Photo credit: Associated Press)

President-Elect Joe Biden has named his new Secretary of Education. The nominee is Dr. Miguel Cardona, a professional educator from Connecticut. During his campaign, Biden had pledged to select a schoolteacher to serve as his education secretary. Dr. Cardona fits the category, starting his career nearly two decades ago as an elementary school teacher in Connecticut before becoming a principal. Since August, 2019, he has served as his state’s top education official.

Dr. Cardona is a product of public schools. In fact, when he started school, a kid from the projects in Meriden, Connecticut, he was unable to speak English. But succeeding in school was important to young Miguel. He graduated from Wilcox Technical High School. In 1997, he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University. He completed his Master’s degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Education, and he also completed a program in Administrator Preparation, his Doctorate in Education, and a certificate in the Executive Leadership Program.

Dr. Cardona has worked as a dedicated public school teacher, an administrator, and the parent of students in public schools. In 1998, he inaugurated his career as an educator when he accepted a position as a fourth grade teacher. By the time he was 28, Dr. Cardona became the youngest principal in the state before working his way up the ladder to Assistant Superintendent of the district. In August, 2019, just months before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March, Dr. Cardona was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont to the position of Connecticut State Commissioner of Education.

When the state’s schools shifted to remote learning, Dr. Cardona scrambled to deliver more than 100,000 laptops to students across the state so they could study from home. Since then, he has increasingly worked toward the safe reopening of his state’s schools. Now his priority will be returning students back to school safely nationwide.

“He will help us address systemic inequities, tackle the mental health crisis in our education system, give educators a well-deserved raise, ease the burden of education debt, and secure high-quality. universal pre-K for every three and four year old in the country,” declared Biden.

To read more, see this article published online by CNN.

Mary Abrams: Special Ed teacher and member Connecicut State Senate

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Mary Abrams, a dedicated Special Education teacher from Connecticut, also serves diligently in her State Senate.

There are so many talented educators in our country who have chosen to serve their communities not only in the classroom, but also in political office. One of these is Mary Abrams, a Special Education teacher from Connecticut who also serves diligently in her state Senate.

As a young girl, Mary attended St. Rose School in Newton, Connecticut. She graduated from Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, Connecticut. She earned both her Bachelor’s and a Master’s degrees in Special Education, and later a Sixth Year degree in Education Leadership, all from Southern Connecticut State University. Mary has also garnered the Educational Leadership Student Award for Excellence in Practice.

After earning her degrees, Mary taught Special Education for over 25 years before transitioning from the classroom to school administration, where she served for more than a decade both as the Director of Special Education and then as a high school Assistant Principal. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Mary served on the Democratic Town Committee, the Library Board, the St. Andrews Vestry, and as a Girl Scout leader. She retired from the academic world in 2017, declaring that she will always be an advocate for education.

In November, 2018, Mary was elected on the Democratic ticket to serve in the Connecticut State Senate. She represents the 13th District, which includes Meriden, Cheshire, Middlefield, Middletown, and Rockfall. In the Senate she serves as the Chair for the Committee on Public Health; the Vice Chair of the Committees on Education and Veterans’ Affairs, and a member of the Committees on Aging and Appropriations.

To learn more about Mary Abrams, click on this link to her website.

Rene Plasencia: Educator and member of Florida House of Reps

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Former US Government teacher Rene Plasencia is currently serving in the Florida State House of Representatives.

Many fine educators have also carved out a successful career in politics. One of these is Rene Plasencia, a high school teacher who is currently serving as a representative in the Florida House of Representatives.

Rene was born on January 8, 1973, in Orlando Florida. His mother was Puerto Rican and his father was Cuban. As a youngster, Rene attended Dr. Phillips High School. After his high school graduation, he enrolled at the University of Central Florida on a rack and field scholarship. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1996.

Once he earned his degree, Rene accepted a position as a teacher at Colonial High School, where he taught US Government for 15 years.  “I taught in a diverse community filled with hard working families, many of them newly arrived to our Country,” recalls Rene. While teaching at Colonial, the dedicated educator also served as the coach for the track and cross country teams. In 2011 and 2012, his Boys Cross Country teams won back-to-back state championships. These were the first and only titles that the school has earned in any sport. For his work as a coach, Rene was named Florida’s 2011 Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Iin 2015, Rene was elected on the Republican ticket to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served the 49th District from 2014 to 2016. Once that term was completed, he was elected to represent Florida’s 50th District, a position he has held since 2016.

To learn more about Rene Plasencia, see the article about him by Ruth Guerra and published by the GOP.

 

Minnesota’s Carl Van Dyke: Teacher and politician

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Minnesota’s Carl Van Dyke: An elementary school teacher who went on to become a lawyer and then a United States Congressman.

Talented teachers often possess the personality traits that make them successful in the political arena. This is certainly the case for Carl Van Dyke, an elementary school teacher who went on to become a lawyer and then a United States Congressman.

Carl was born on February 18, 1881, in Alexandria, Douglas County, Minnesota. As a youngster, he attended local schools. When he came of age, taught elementary schools in Douglas County from 1899 to 1901. It was in that year that he enlisted in the Minnesota Volunteer Infantry branch of the US Army. There he served as a private in Company B in the Fifteenth Regiment. While in the service, Carl saw action in the Spanish American War, and he was highly respected by his fellow veterans. In fact, in 1918, the former teacher was elected Commander in Chief of the US Spanish War Veterans.

Once he returned from military service, Carl attended St. Paul College of Law, which later came to be known as William Mitchell College of Law. Following his graduation, Carl was admitted to the bar in St. Paul. His leadership abilities evident, the former educator was elected to the US House of Representatives, where he served from 1915 until his sudden death on May 20, 1919, in Washington, DC. He was only 38 years old. After his passing, this gifted teacher, lawyer, and public servant was cremated and his ashes interred in a mausoleum in Forest Cemetery, St. Paul, Minnesota.

To read more about Carl Van dyke, see this entry at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.