Luncheon event to recognize 5 venerable black educators

The honorees represent more than 170 years of educational service to the city schools.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Five city educators will be the guests of honor today at the Salute to Black Educators Luncheon at the McGuffey Center, 1649 Jacobs Road.

Veteran educators Vera Bailey, Claude Bentley, Fred Harrell, Lena Hopkins and Lois Thornton are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Youngstown area schools.

The event, which begins at 11 a.m., is sponsored by the Youngstown Area Alliance of Black School Educators and the Associated Neighborhood Centers-McGuffey Center.

Bailey is a 1968 graduate of North High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and later went back to YSU to earn a master’s degree in reading. She also holds a reading supervisory certification.

She taught in a remedial reading program in the city schools from 1972 to 1980 and then taught at the Mary Haddow and Paul C. Bunn schools until her retirement in 2007.

That hasn’t ended her teaching career, however. She now works part time at Baby Toddlers Preschool and is a volunteer at the McGuffey Center Afterschool Program. She has also been a Sunday school teacher for 15 years.

Bentley graduated from South High School in 1968 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University in 1974. He later earned a master’s degree in secondary administration from YSU in 1986.

He taught at both East and South high schools between 1974 and 1992 and later held the positions of principal, assistant principal and utility administrator for the district from 1993 to 2009.

Harrell graduated from The Rayen School in 1968 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University in 1974. He earned a master’s in guidance and counseling from Westminster College in 1982.

From 1973 until 2006, he taught in various city schools including John White, Harding, North Junior High, East Middle and Alpha School of Excellence.

Hopkins graduated from South High School in 1963 and earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Youngstown State University. She did postgraduate studies at the University of Akron.

She taught Spanish and French at East High School from 1968 to 1989, and, from 1989 to 1999, served as assistant principal at East and Chaney high schools.

Thornton earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and administration from Youngstown State University.

Between 1971 and 1987, she taught in the Harrison, Stambaugh, Kirkmere and Lincoln buildings. She was principal at Bennett from 1987 until her retirement in 2001.

She didn’t stay retired for long. She came back to the city schools as a gifted/talented administrator in 2001-02, assistant principal at the Cleveland school in 2002-03, a utility administrator from 2003 to 2005 and an extended day administrator and academic consultant from 2005 to 2007. Since then, she has served as project director for the Youngstown Afterschool Alliance, a post she still holds.