AFT Members Making a Difference

In a union where every member often does heroic duty without giving it a second thought, there are nevertheless some very special AFT members who have gone above and beyond—both in and outside the workplace—to help their students succeed, or to provide exemplary service to the public, or just to make their communities better places to live. The profiles below highlight some of those outstanding AFT members.


Debra Calvino Valley Central, N.Y. 'Always a way to reach a student'	Deborah Cannada Kanawha, W. Va. The 'paws' that refreshes	Lewis Chappelear Los Angeles, Calif. Making incredible connections with students	Debi Chowdhury Albany, N.Y. Showing compassion on the job	Jason Chuong Philadelphia, Pa. Helping students hear the beat


David Cooper Lexington, Ky. Inspired teaching engages community college students	Margaret Espinoza New York, N.Y. Rising to the 9/11 challenge	Nick Faber St. Paul, Minn. A leader in and out of the classroom	Christy Gill Lookout, W. Va. Using art to teach other cultures	Dan Gregerman Skokie, Ill. A choral director jazzes it up


Erick Hueck Miami, Fla. A science teacher’s success	Maggie Hyland Pine Bush, N.Y. Where the 3 R's meet the 3 H's	Charles Johnson Dallas, Texas Caring for homeless teenagers	Robert Johnson Washington, D.C. At the crossroads of early learning	Janie Johnson-Cao Denver, Colo. Instilling a love of learning


Ondrea Johnston Boston, Mass. Building math knowledge and life skills	Karen King Newtown, Conn. Brings the world to her students	Ann Kouatly Windham, Conn. A librarian's extra effort	Cassandra Lawrence Perth Amboy, N.J. Building a classroom community	Jody Levy Osseo, Minn. Caring and good teaching go hand in hand


Pat Mangan New York, N.Y. Winning on the court—and in the classroom	Obie Murphy Sandy, Ore. A love supreme	Lisa O'Keefe Pasco County, Fla. Making music to make a difference	Rebecca Palacios Corpus Christi, Texas A continuing passion for education	Brad Parker Chicago, Ill. 'Developing lifelong learners who care about the world'


Travis Parker Sacramento, Calif. Giving young men direction and guidance	Jeffry Peneston Liverpool, N.Y. For the love of nature	John Raines Philadelphia, Pa. Freedom Rider shares journey from privilege to protest	Christine Rowland New York, N.Y. A commitment to excellence	Christine Sharp NYSUT retiree Serving as a role model for other retired members


Alucia Walton Savannah, Ga. A successful experiment	Xiao-Lin Yin-Croft San Francisco, Calif. Bilingual teacher helps other immigrants