Educator Marva Collins: Champion of Inner-City Youth

Many talented educators earn distinction as innovators in their field. Such is certainly the case for Marva Nettles Collins, a chalkboard champion in Chicago, Illinois.

Marva Deloise Nettles was born on August 31, 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama. She was raised in Atmore, Alabama, in a time when Jim Crow laws ruled the South. Black people were not permitted to use the public library, and her schools had few books and no indoor plumbing. Nevertheless, her parents helped Marva and her younger sister develop a strong desire for learning, achievement, and independence. "We were expected to be excellent," Marva once recalled. "We didn't have a choice." Because of this drive, Marva earned a bachelor's degree from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia.

When she was a young woman, Marva met a young draftsman named Clarence Collins. The couple married and had three children: Eric, Patrick and Cynthia.

Marva began her career as an educator when she taught for two years in her native Alabama. Then she moved to Chicago where she taught in public schools for fourteen years. In 1975, to help the disadvantaged students in her neighborhood, Marva founded Westside Preparatory School in the second floor of her home located in a Chicago ghetto known as Garfield Park. There she successfully taught a classical education to underprivileged inner-city students, some of whom had been inaccurately labeled learning disabled by public schools.

In her classes, Marva employed the Socratic method, modified for her elementary students. To do this, she selected material with abstract content to develop her students' reasoning abilities, knowing that the material would have different meanings to different students. Her instructional methods were proven to encourage participation, reduce discipline issues, and develop self-discipline. The program avoided worksheets and busy work, and encouraged students to develop critical thinking skills. Marva ran her preparatory school for more than thirty years, until it was closed for lack of funding.

In addition to her classroom successes, Marva has written a number of manuals, books, and motivational tracts describing her history and methods, which were widely publicized in the 1981 biographical TV movie The Marva Collins Story starring Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman. Marva has also earned distinction as a motivational speaker.

For her professional achievements, Marva has earned a number of awards and accolades. In 1981, she received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged. In 2004, she was honored with a National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush. Additionally, she has received honorary doctorates from Amherst, Dartmouth, and Notre Dame.

Secondary School Science and Math Teacher and Educator Astronaut Joe Acaba

Many talented educators earn recognition for achievements outside of the classroom. Such is certainly the case of science and math teacher Joseph Michael Acaba, who is also a hydro-geologist and NASA educator astronaut. This chalkboard champion is the first individual of Puerto Rican descent to become a NASA astronaut.

Joe was born on May 17, 1967, in Inglewood, California, where his parents, Ralph and Elsie Acaba, had moved from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, during the 1960s. When he was an elementary student, Joe excelled in both science and math. He enjoyed reading, particularly science fiction stories. He also appreciated educational movies, and credits his interest in space to a film he watched in his boyhood depicting Neil Armstrong's 1969 landing on the moon. During his senior year in high school, Joe became interested in scuba diving, and later he became a certified scuba diver through a job training program at his school. This experience inspired him to further his academic education in the field of geology. In 1985, Joe graduated with honors from Esperanza High School in Anaheim, California.

Joe earned his bachelor's degree in geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1990, and his master's degree in geology from the University of Arizona in 1992. After his college graduation, Joe enlisted as a reservist in the US Marine Corps, where he served his country for six years. During this time, Joe worked as a hydro-geologist in Los Angeles, where he was involved in the assessment and remediation of groundwater contaminants. He has also worked for the Caribbean Marine Research in the Bahamas and as a shoreline re-vegetation coordinator in Vero Beach, Florida.

Additionally, Joe spent two years in the Peace Corps, where he trained over 300 teachers in modern teaching methodologies in the Dominican Republic. "Once I did that, I knew that education was what I wanted to do," Joe said. To fulfill this dream, after leaving the Peace Corps Joe taught one year of high school science and math at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida, and four years of science and math at Dunnellon Middle School in Dunnellon, Florida. Then, in May 2004, the veteran educator was one of three classroom teachers selected by NASA to be a mission specialist. "The only job that could take me away from teaching is being an astronaut," he explained. "Being an educator astronaut is the best of both worlds."

In February 2006, Joe completed his astronaut candidate training, which included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Upon completion of his training, Joe was assigned to the Hardware Integration Team in the Space Station Branch, working technical issues with European Space Agency hardware.  He was also a member of the Space Shuttle Branch, supporting shuttle launch and landing preparations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Joe's first space mission was aboard STS-119, which flew from March 15 to March 28, 2009. The task for this mission was to deliver the final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. Joe performed two space walks during this mission. His second space mission was Expedition 31/32, which was launched on May 15, 2012, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and returned on September 17, 2012.  As a member of the Expedition 31/32 crews, Joe spent 123 days aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer. The intrepid educator has logged a total of 138 days in space during his two missions.

Joe once said that, as an educator astronaut, he hoped to reach out to minority students. On March 18, 2008, he traveled to Puerto Rico, where he was honored by the island's senate. During his visit, Joe met with school children at the capitol and at Science Park located in Bayamon. Science Park boasts a planetarium and several surplus NASA rockets among its exhibits. Joe made a second trip to Puerto Rico on June 1, 2009. On that trip he spent seven days on the island and came into contact with over 10,000 citizens, most of them school children.

Joe is active in several professional organizations. He is a member of the International Technology Education Association, the Florida Association of Science Teachers, and the Association of Space Explorers. During his career, Joe has earned many honors. He has been given the Ana G. Mendez University System Presidential Medal and a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. In addition, Caras Magazine designated Joe as one of the most influential and exciting Puerto Ricans of 2012.

"As an educator," this chalkboard champion once expounded, "I think the most important thing for me is to fulfill the goal of inspiring the next generation. Motivating kids to learn is as important as the subject matter."

Wow! Time Flies!

I can't believe it has been more than a month since I last posted. I apologize for the absence. I have been working on my credential for Library Media Services, and have, quite simply, been swamped with homework. But it's been fun homework, and I have learned so much. And, I have met a wonderful group of dedicated teachers who are devoting themselves to learning how to move our students into the technology age. More about that later.

Meanwhile, I have received some queries about the new book, Chalkboard Heroes. The new publication date has been pushed to January. Stay turned for more about that, too. Thanks to everyone for their patience, especially my publisher!

Sincerely,

Terry Marzell

Another School Shooting Reveals Another Chalkboard Hero

Megan  Silberberger, a first year social studies teacher from a sleepy town just outside of Seattle, Washington, has become our most recent national chalkboard hero. This fearless educator courageously confronted teen gunman Jaylen Fryberg while he was firing bullets at a group of students eating lunch in the crowded cafeteria at Marysville Pilchuck High School on Friday, October 24. By the time the melee was over, Fryberg had killed one student and severely wounded four others, and was himself dead. But according to eyewitness accounts, the heroic teacher's confrontation prevented what could have been a bigger massacre.

Erick Cervantes, a student at the school, described the attack and the action Megan took to protect the panicking students. "She heard the gunshots first and she came in running through the door, right next to it," Cervantes said. "It started off with an argument, but then I looked back and there was just gunshots and just people falling down. She heard the gunshots first and she came in running through the door, right next to it. It wasn't [a] wrestle. She just grabbed his arm, and it lasted like two seconds, and I heard another shot," Erick added. That last shot, Cervantes reported, resulted in Jaylen Fryberg's death from a self-inflicted wound.

Educator Randy Davis, president of the Marysville Education Association, said he taught at the school for twenty years and knows Megan Silberberger. He reported she was a student teacher last year and had just started her first year as a social studies teacher at the school. Davis described Silberberger as "your classic first-year teacher with high enthusiasm, a lot of passion for what she does." He said he was "very proud of her efforts and her motivations."

Megan Silberberger: a true chalkboard hero.

Educator and Author of Pioneer Literature Margaret Hill McCarter

Often talented teachers establish a reputation for excellence in fields other than education. This is certainly the case of Margaret Hill McCarter, a well-known author who penned novels set against the background of the Kansas Prairies.

Margaret was born in Carthge, Indiana, on May 2, 1860, the daughter of Quaker parents named Thomas and Nancy (Davis) Hill. She attended Earlham College, a Quaker college, and in 1884 graduated from the State Normal School at Terre Haute, Indiana. She taught school in her home state for nine years, and then relocated to Kansas in 1888 to head the department of English at Topeka High School. There Margaret met and married Dr. William McCarter, on June 5, 1890. Soon the couple expanded their family to include three children.

Margaret began her writing career in 1901. Her early works included The Cottonwood's Story, 1903; Cuddy's Baby, 1907; In Old Quivira, 1908; Cuddy and Other Stories, 1908. In 1909 she wrote The Price of the Prairie, which dealt with settlers in post Civil War Kansas. These novels appealed to readers who appreciated her detailed descriptions of the landscape and events. Her later works include The Peace of the Solomon Valley, 1911; A Wall of Men, 1912; A Master's Degree, 1913; Winning of the Wilderness, 1914; The Cornerstone, 1915; Vanguards of The Plains, A Romance of the Santa Fe Trail, 1917; and The Reclaimers, 1918.

In addition to her writing, McCarter devoted much time to her work civic organizations and clubs, and she became a well-known public speaker. She was active in the Republican Party, and this resulted in an invitation to address the 1920 convention. Margaret was the first woman to speak to the national gathering.

During her lifetime, McCarter received honorary doctorates from Washburn University and the College of Emporia. Today, Margaret Hill McCarter Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas, carries on the memory of this Kansas author.

 Margaret McCarter passed away on August 31, 1938, and is buried in Topeka.

Andrew David Holt: The Tennessee Educator Who Was A Tireless Champion for Public Education

One of the most distinguished educators in the state of Tennessee was Andrew David Holt, a public school teacher who was also a tireless champion for public education in his state.

Andrew was born on December 4, 1904, in Milan, Tennessee, the son of two schoolteachers. His childhood was like that of most small-town boys of that time, centered on home, school, and church. His father was a strict disciplinarian, but young Andy was a mischievous youngster. He had an irrepressible sense of humor and engaged in the usual schoolboy antics. Young Andy was very interested in music; he played the trombone in the Milan High School Band and traveled to Europe with the Glee Club.

After his graduation from Milan High School, Andrew enrolled in Emory University. Following his college graduation in 1927, he became an elementary school teacher in West Tennessee, first in Milan, where he taught grades five through eight, and then in Humboldt, where he taught high school. He also served as a coach, a school principal, and a school superintendent.

After ten years of teaching, Andrew joined the faculty of West Tennessee State Teachers College, now known as the University of Memphis, where he served first as the principal of the Training School, then as the director of teacher training, and then as a professor of educational administration. While working in Memphis, Andrew enrolled in a graduate program at Teachers College of Columbia University, where he earned his Ph.D degree in 1937. After receiving his Ph.D., Andrew garnered a position as the executive secretary of the Tennessee Education Association (TEA). In this role, he recruited new members, kept teachers informed of legislative issues, spoke to community groups about the need for additional support for schools, and lobbied the state legislature for additional funds.

When World War II broke out, Andrew took a leave of absence from the TEA to serve with the Army Services Forces in Washington, DC. He was responsible for organizing pre-induction training programs for high school students that were designed to prepare them for induction if called upon. When the war was over, Andrew returned to the TEA. While there, he developed a friendship with the governor and the state commissioner of education, and due to these friendships he was able to negotiate a teacher retirement plan and a statewide sales tax to help finance public education.

In 1949 Andrew became the president of the National Education Association, after having been elected first vice president in 1948. In 1950, he became the executive assistant to Cloide Brehm, the president of Tennessee University. In 1953 he moved on to become the university’s vice president, and after Brehm’s retirement in 1959, the university’s trustees appointed him to the position of university president, where he served until 1970. During Andrew’s tenure as president, the institution’s enrollment increased threefold, and the faculty and staff doubled in number. Eight new buildings were built on the university’s flagship campus in Knoxville. The university budget and state government funding for its support both increased fourfold.

Andrew Holt passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 7, 1987. Following his passing, the school’s administration building, completed in 1973, was named Andy Holt Tower, and a street on the university’s Knoxville campus, Andy Holt Avenue, was named in his honor.

Andrew David Holt: a true chalkboard champion.

Alexander Kerr Craig: Teacher, Civil War Veteram, and Congressman

Many times talented educators serve their country valiantly, and also distinguish themselves in the political arena. Such is the case with Alexander Kerr Craig, a remarkable teacher from Claysville, Pennsylvania, who is also a Civil War veteran, and was elected to the US House of Representatives.

Alexander Craig was born near the town of Claysville, Pennsylvania, on February 1, 1828. As a young boy, he attended local common schools and was also  educated by a private tutor. He was an excellent student. At the age of sixteen, he became a teacher, conducting classes during the winter months and subsequently working as a principal in Claysville public schools. He also studied law.

In February, 1865, after the Civil War broke out, Alexander enlisted in the Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. After the completion of his service, he returned to Claysville, where he resumed his career as an educator by serving as school director and justice of the peace.
Alexander was elected as a Democrat to the 52nd US Congress, where he served until he passed away July 29, 1892, at the age of 64. He is buried in Claysville Cemetery.