Touching moments abounded during the rededication of the National Memorial to Fallen Educators on Thursday.
Speeches and welcomes from local, state and federal dignitaries led to a Tribute to the Fallen, where the names of 10 teachers and school staffers were read and white roses were laid at the base of one of the granite markers at the site. National Teachers Hall of Fame Class of 2013 member Darryl Johnson honored Glenda Ann Perkins, one of two teachers shot to death at Sante Fe High School in Texas.
Fellow Class of 2018 member Deb Cornelison honored the other teacher shot at Santa Fe, Cynthia Tisdale.
Anna Fusco of the Florida Education Association then honored the memories of those killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in February: Scott Beigel, Aaron Feis and Chris Hixon.
Later, a special dream catcher was presented to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Stephanie Hoyt Smith gave some of the backstory before the formal presentation.
Kansas Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine of Emporia said everybody’s goal should be to have safe schools.
60th District Representative Mark Schreiber of Emporia focused the first half of his remarks honoring Jim McGee, a principal in Goddard who was shot dead by a student in 1985. The second half of his remarks dealt with the inspirational nature of memorials.
Ken Weaver, the National Teachers Hall of Fame board president and Emporia State’s Dean of the Teachers College, actually helped to start the ceremony with a sentiment that ran throughout the entire event: no more names should be added to the memorial.
The facility was dedicated in 2014 with the names of over 110 teachers and staffers killed while protecting students dating back to 1764. Counting this year’s group, nearly 130 will be honored. The memorial is the first national memorial in Kansas and follows endorsements by Senator Jerry Moran and Congressman Roger Marshall to get the measure through both the House and Senate earlier this year.
Educators added to the Memorial to Fallen Educators:
*Ruth Berg, receptionist, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aug. 2, 2017, natural gas explosion
*John Carlson, janitor, Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aug. 2, 2017, natural gas explosion
*Daniel Buesgens, buildings and grounds employee, Chaska Middle School East, Chaska, Minnesota, Jan. 8, 2018, fell from a ladder
*Richard Lee Proffitt, bus driver, Prince William County Schools, Bristow, Virginia, Feb. 5, 2018, struck and killed by another bus driver in the parking lot of the school transportation center
*Scott Beigel, teacher, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Parkland, Florida, Feb. 14, 2018, school shooting
*Aaron Feis, security guard & football coach, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Parkland, Florida, Feb. 14, 2018, school shooting
*Chris Hixon, athletic director, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Parkland, Florida, Feb. 14, 2018, school shooting
*Jennifer Williamson, teacher, East Brook Middle School, Paramus, New Jersey, May 17, 2018, bus accident on field trip in Mount Olive, New Jersey
*Glenda Ann Perkins, substitute teacher, Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe, Texas, May 18, 2018, school shooting
*Cynthia Tisdale, substitute teacher, Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe, Texas, May 18, 2018, school shooting
For more information about the National Memorial to Fallen Educators, call 341-5660 or go online to www.nthf.org.
11:45 am Thursday: Memorial to Fallen Educators to be rededicated Thursday afternoon
Induction ceremonies for the National Teachers Hall of Fame will take a solemn tone Thursday afternoon.
The National Memorial to Fallen Educators will be formally rededicated for two reasons: first, the facility recently gained national recognition following an act of Congress and a signature from President Trump. Second, 10 new teachers and staffers will be added to the memorial after they passed away over the last year.
Numerous dignitaries have been invited to participate, including Gov. Jeff Colyer, Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts, Congressman Roger Marshall and a bevy of education officials from across the country. ESU President Allison Garrett, Mayor Danny Giefer and local lawmakers Jeff Longbine and Mark Schreiber have also been invited.
Also among those on hand will be the National Teachers Hall of Fame induction class. Maureen Murphy-Foelkl, a K-5 environmental science teacher from Salem, Ore., is hoping no more names will be added.
Bradley Upshaw, a second- and third-grade teacher from Tarzana, Calif., likened the sacrifices of teachers to those of law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel.
Peggy Jackson, an AP government and history teacher from Moriarty, N.M., has been questioning just how to enhance safety and provide comfort for students.
Connie Bagley, a retired dyslexia educator from San Marcos, Texas, says the stories of those who have died need to be known.
English language arts teacher Jeff Baxter of Leavenworth is grateful for the chance to honor those at the memorial.
Ceremonies will include a tribute to the fallen, the official presentation of a dream catcher originally designed after the Columbine shooting in 1999 and a placing of a wreath at the base of the memorial granite tablets. Following the official ceremony, Teachers Hall of Fame inductees will plant redbud trees in honor of those who have died.
The facility was dedicated in 2014 with the names of over 110 teachers and staffers killed while protecting students dating back to 1764. Counting this year’s group, nearly 130 will be honored.
Activities begin at 2 pm. We’ll broadcast the full ceremony live on 14 KVOE, 96.9 FM and KVOE-TV at KVOE.com.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
{gallery}National Memorial to Fallen Educators 2018{/gallery}
