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tommy delaneyOverland Park, KS | YEARS TAUGHT: 1969 - 1996Tom started teaching in public schools in 1969 because he needed the job. Twenty-eight years later, he travels 160 miles a day to educate incarcerated juveniles because the job needs him. He promises students that no matter from what distance their noble dreams beckon, they can get there from his classroom; he uses successful businessmen who also grew up in rough neighborhoods to share how they “got there from here.” Delaney encourages students to submit entries to REACHING OUT, a literary magazine published by his English/Journalism class and circulated to schools from Mexico to Canada; he also encourages them to participate in public speaking and in plays that depict psychological and environmental barriers they are hurdling to reach lofty goals. Once a year they take their productions on the road to schools in tough neighborhoods in an attempt to reach others who may be thinking about getting involved with crime and violence.
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sallie langsethdeer park, tx | YEARS TAUGHT: 1969 - PresentSallie is the creator and ongoing coordinator of the Advanced Placement Mathematics Program in Deer Park, Texas and sponsor for the initial Academic Decathlon Program in Deer Park. Langseth has designed a national mathematics curriculum for socially, educationally, and economically disadvantaged youths. She labels her attitude toward equal access to educational opportunities as a pragmatic optimist — pragmatic in that every child cannot take advantage of every educational opportunity, optimistic in that she believes all children should be allowed to achieve as much as possible. Sallie Langseth brings her own educational experiences to her teaching. If adequate diagnostic methods had been available in the 1950s, she would have been diagnosed as mildly hyperactive, dyslexic, gifted and talented, and economically disadvantaged. She could not and cannot spell. Because of her background, she feels comfortable dealing with students from various backgrounds and skill levels.
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sarah prattMalverne, NY | Years Taught: 1977 - PresentSarah served in a state position designing and piloting a performance based licensure process for teachers, developing orientation projects for new teachers, and helping implement Teacher of the Year symposiums. She established the McDowell County Schools Cities-in-Schools Academy, an alternative program for at-risk students and Titan Pride, an academic incentives and awards program. She has raised more than $400,000 in grant money to support her programs. Pratt is the first female deacon elected in the 150-year history of the First Presbyterian Church of Marion. She teaches High School English and Social Studies, including English, drama, speech, and /driver’s education.
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stephen srokaBlissfield, MI | Years Taught: 1973 - PresentStephen grew up in a public housing project in Cleveland in a single parent family. When he graduated from high school, he worked full-time to get his family off welfare before entering college. His childhood offered unique challenges that help him be a better urban teacher. He has authored a dozen books, including Educator’s Guide to HIV/AIDS and other STDs (now in its 42nd printing and translated into Spanish), more than 25 articles, some of which have appeared in Teacher Magazine and Education Week, and made thousands of professional presentations. In 1987, he helped coordinate the nation’s first national conference to teach teachers about how to teach HIV/AIDS education. Guest appearances have included the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Donahue Show and CNN’s Sonia Live in LA.
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gary swalleyCorpus Christi, TX | Years Taught: 1976-2010Gary sponsors the Act I drama group, which produces and performs plays about saying no to drugs to elementary students and civic groups. He created Project 2001, the Ultimate Field Trip, an environmental research group where students do research on life in the 21st century in a unique blend of community involvement and enriching environmental experiences. He forms partnerships with other departments in the school, parents, civic organizations and community businesses. Annual classroom themes come from popular culture, doubling as an attention grabber and a learning tool. Previous themes have included Batman (Believe Achieve To Succeed) and Apollo XIII (Reach for the Stars). A quote on his wall reads, “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”
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