National Teachers Hall of Fame Plans Memorial for Fallen Teachers

The National Teachers Hall of Fame is currently raising money to pay for the construction of a memorial to fallen educators to be located on the campus of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. The planned monument will be 10' by 10', composed of black granite, and contain a walkway, benches, illumination, and landscaping. The memorial is intended to be a permanent tribute to school personnel who have given their lives while protecting their students. Thus far, the names of fifty teachers are earmarked for inscription in the framed book that will also be part of the memorial. Groundbreaking for the project was  held on June 13, and dedication ceremonies are scheduled for this fall. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the construction of this monument can send their donation to NTHF, 1200 Commercial St., Box 4017, Emporia, Kansas, 66801. To check out the web site for National Teachers Hall of Fame, click on this link: NTHF.

 

Remembering Christa McAuliffe: The First Teacher in Space

Without a doubt, one of the saddest days of my teaching career was the day our nation lost the first educator to go into space, New Hampshire history teacher Christa McAuliffe. Fairly new to the profession, I was so proud that a fellow teacher had been selected as the first civilian in space, and a little star-struck by the professionalism, intelligence, and infectious enthusiasm of the chosen candidate, selected from among 11,000 other highly-qualified applicants.

While on her mission, Christa planned to write a journal of her experiences as an astronaut from the perspective that even an ordinary citizen can take center stage in the making of history. She was to have been the perfect example of that. Additionally, she was scheduled to perform lessons and simple scientific experiments aboard the space shuttle which would be viewed by students in classrooms all over America.

Tragically, Christa was one of seven astronauts killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after lift-off. The journal she never got to finish was replaced by A Journal for Christa: Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space, written by Grace George Corrigan, Christa's grief-stricken mother. The book is a tender tribute to an extraordinary teacher.

A Journal for Christa can be ordered form amazon. I have also included a chapter about Christa McAuliffe in the book I am currently writing, tentatively entitled Chalkboard Heroes.

Carter Godwin Woodson: The Chalkboard Champion Who Originated Black History Month

Carter Godwin Woodson is often credited with originating annual Black History Month celebrations. He is also recognized as the first African American of slave parents to earn a Ph.D. in history. To be sure, these are noteworthy accomplishments. But there is so much more to this brilliant man's life story than is usually publicized.

Did you know that Carter was required much of his childhood to work on the family farm rather than attend school? As a child he taught himself to read using the Bible and local newspapers. He didn't finish high school until he was 20 years old. Were you aware that he once worked as a coal miner in Fayette County, West Virginia, and then later went back there to teach school to the children of black coal miners, offering them a personal model for using education to get out of the mines? Did you know that Carter taught school in the Philippines, and then became the supervisor of schools there, which included duties as a trainer of teachers?

All these biographical details and more can be found in the book Chalkboard Champions, available on amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's web site.

Chalkboard Champion Sondra Erickson Served in Minnesota State Legislature

Many talented educators have achieved success in fields other than education. One such chalkboard champion is Sondra Erickson, a retired English teacher who was employed at Princeton High School in Princeton, Minnesota. This amazing woman also served as a state legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Sondra was born in 1942, and raised in Taft, North Dakota. She graduated from Hillsboro High School, and then from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, earning her bachelor's degree in English. She attended graduate school at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The talented educator served on the Minnesota Board of Teaching from 1992 to 1997, bringing her "students first" philosophy to the table.

First elected to the state legislature in 1998, Sondra was re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006, and served until 2008. Sondra carried her interest in educational matters with her into her new position. She worked tirelessly on the committees for education policy and education finance.

Teacher, Coach, and Counselor Herb Banet: The Chalkboard Champion Who Was Also A Football and Basketball Star

When we think of chalkboard champions, let's not forget all of our nation's talented coaches. These dedicated professionals work many long hours with our young people, teaching them the value of self-discipline, healthy competition, fair play, and teamwork, and helping them to choose a healthy, active lifestyle. One such chalkboard champion in Herb Bane, a high school teacher, basketball coach, and guidance counselor from Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

 

Herb was born in 1913 in Fort Wayne. As a high school student, he was a gifted athlete. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, he earned All-City Honors in both football and basketball. After his graduation from Fort Wayne South High School in 1933, he attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana, where he played collegiate football. While at Manchester, Herb played All-Conference Football and All-State Football in 1934, 1935, and 1936. During the 1937 season, Herb played in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers. He was also a war hero. When World War II broke out, Herb served his country in the U.S. Navy.

 

These experience served him well during his eighteen-year career as a coach at Central High School in Fort Wayne. While coaching there, his team made one trip to the Final Four in 1960, where they were defeated by just one point by East Chicago Washington. Later in Herb's career he served as a guidance counselor at Northrup High School. This talented educator retired in 1979. In recognition of his illustrious career as an athlete, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Herb Banet passed away in 2003 at the age of 89 and is buried at Falls Memorial Gardens in Wabash, Indiana. It is certain that his efforts as a gifted teacher, coach, and counselor will always be well-remembered.

Harriette Arnow: The Spokesperson for Impoverished Appalachian Dwellers

Many times talented teachers earn recognition in fields other than education. One such educator was Harriette Arnow, a public school teacher who also earned fame as an American novelist.

Harriette has been called spokesperson on the people of the southern Appalachian Mountains, although she loved cities and spent important periods of her life in both Cincinnati, Detroit, and Ann Arbor. This remarkable woman was born on July 7, 1908, in Monticello, Kentucky. She was the daughter of two teachers, and decided to pursue a career in teaching for herself. But she also wanted to write. After her high school graduation, Harriette attended Berea College in Kentucky for two years before transferring to the University of Louisville.

Following her college graduation, this talented woman worked for two years as a teacher in rural Pulaski County, and then one year in a more remote area of Appalachia. She then relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she began publishing her short stories. In 1936, Harriette published her first novel, Mountain Path, basing it on her experiences as a teacher.

Harriet lived in Cincinnati from 1934 to 1939, working for the Federal Writer's Project of the WPA, where she met her future husband, Harold B. Arnow, the son of Jewish immigrants. After their marriage, they lived briefly in Pulaski County, close to where Harriette was born. While in Pulaski County, she  continued to work as a public school teacher. In 1944, the couple moved to Detroit, Michigan, accepting housing in a public housing complex. During this time, her 1949 novel, Hunter's Horn, became a best seller and received considerable critical acclaim, finishing close to A Fable written by William Faulkner in that year's voting for the Pulitzer Prize.

In 1950, Harriette and her husband relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan. There she published her most famous work, The Dollmaker, in 1954. The novel was about an impoverished Kentucky family forced by economic necessity to move to Detroit. The plot reflected her own life story, but it also depicted the experiences of many people living in the Appalachians who migrated to the industrialized north to seek a better life.

Harriette Arnow, remarkable teacher and talented author, died in 1986 at the age of 77, at her farm in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Elaine Kontominas Alquist: The Math Teacher Who Became a State Senator

Many chalkboard champions have gone on to serve their communities as politicians. One such individual is Elaine Kontominas Alquist.

Elaine Alquist was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 21, 1944. She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from MacMurray College, Illinois, in 1966, and her master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1967. She was employed as a teacher of algebra and trigonometry, and also worked as a school counselor in Chicago public schools. In 1981 she was elected PTA president, and in 1983 she served eight years as first a member and then the president of the Cupertino Union School District Board of Education. During her tenure there, Elaine initiated the district's Disaster Preparedness Plan and helped to develop the district's first Strategic Long Range Plan for the district's 12,000 students.

In 1996 Elaine became the first Greek American woman elected to the California State Legislature. She was re-elected to two consecutive terms in 1998 and 2000. In the legislature, she made made it a priority to fight for improved health care for Californians, co-authoring Healthy Families legislation that extended health coverage for California's uninsured children.

As a former high school math teacher, guidance counselor, school board member, and member of the California Post Secondary Education Commission, Elaine has been  recognized by her peers  in the legislature as an expert on education policy. She has dedicated herself to improving students' math skills, authoring legislation that provided $28 million for staff development of mathematics teachers over the last two fiscal years. Currently, she is working on legislation to improve the funding for California's students and to provide tax incentives for vocational programs and life-long learning through her Graduate Education Opportunity Act legislation.

Elaine Alquist was elected to the California State Senate in November 2004 and is currently serving as State Senator for District 13. She was re-elected to a second term in 2008. Her final term ended in 2012.