A longtime language arts teacher at the Vallivue School District’s Sage Valley Middle School, Martin places books on her shelves that reflect the diversity of her classroom. She chooses curricula that inspire her students to think outside the box. And she encourages kids to explore, research and think critically about the world around them. 

Her efforts have earned her statewide recognition — she’s this year’s recipient of the Human Rights Educator of the Year Award — an accolade awarded by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights to educators who go above and beyond to ground their classrooms in justice and joy, and honor every person’s dignity. 

But as the public education arena grows increasingly polarized, and fraught with political tensions, championing human rights in the classroom has become a controversial act. Some conservatives would see Martin’s teaching philosophy — and her award — as an example of alleged indoctrination in schools. 

And with the threat of policies and laws that would censor her in the classroom, and put her at risk of private lawsuits, Martin says she’s had enough. She’s not willing to compromise her values for politics, so she’s taking an early retirement. This is her last year teaching. 

“I’m not leaving a bad place,” Martin said Thursday in an interview with EdNews. “I’m leaving a good place, but (retirement) will be a safer place. I won’t feel any pressure to bend to things I know I will not bend to.” 

Representation in the classroom is a ‘life or death’ matter, says Martin

Martin’s classroom is filled with diversity — her students come from different countries, different states and different religious backgrounds. Some speak multiple languages. Some are minorities. Some are members of the LGBTQ+ community. As their teacher, Martin knows it’s part of her responsibility to help them all feel valued — if they don’t feel safe at school, learning becomes even more challenging.

So, she focuses on representation. She wants her students to be able to see themselves in the books they read and the materials they study.

But that practice has brought challenges. From course textbooks to the Harry Potter series, Martin has heard complaints from parents who believe certain materials aren’t suitable for their children.

Martin provides free curricular materials for educators in need. Head to her website to learn more.

“Every ELA teacher has had parents push back on certain books for one reason or another and request that their child not read a particular text. They don’t always give us a reason,” Martin said. “Sometimes it’s because they feel the content is too mature for their child. Sometimes people in their religious community admonish them to avoid certain titles.”

So, Martin accommodates those requests — that, too, is a part of helping students feel included in the classroom.

“Parents have always had the right to be involved in what their child reads — it’s their child.”

But the right of one student/family shouldn’t trump the right of another student/family, Martin says. LGBTQ+ students should have access to books with LGBTQ+ characters. Latino students should have access to books with students who look and speak like them and their families. That type of representation can, Martin said, be the difference between life and death.

“I am never going to reject a child. I don’t care who it is demanding or telling me. I’m not doing it.” — Daisy Rain Martin, Idaho’s Human Rights Educator of the Year.

LGBTQ+ youth and minorities are at higher risk for developing depression, anxiety and suicide — especially in middle schoolers, who are already prone to low self-esteem and mental health challenges.

But as lawmakers attempt to place restrictions on what can and can’t be read and said in schools, Martin says educators are sitting in a difficult position.

“We have two choices as teachers: eliminate anything that might bring down the wrath of a stakeholder (which, at the end of the day, includes just about everything) and participate in the erasure of minorities and marginalized kids or…walk around flinchy all the time, waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Martin said.

For Martin, that isn’t a choice.

“I don’t work for adults, I work for kids,” Martin said. “I am never going to reject a child. I don’t care who it is demanding or telling me. I’m not doing it. I am not going to have the blood of a child on my hands. I’m not going to be part of a child’s decision to leave this planet.”

Martin also encourages her students to be inclusive of each other. At the beginning of each year, she challenges her students to a year-long research project — choose one country to research thoroughly. Dive into its government, customs, environment, and myths and legends. The big question she’s asking them: What could we achieve if we looked at the world through someone else’s eyes?

It’s not only a research project — it’s an exercise in empathy. At the end of the year, she wants them to be able to appreciate the country they researched, no matter how different it is from home.

“No matter the form of government…we want kids to know that there are beautiful children just like them and beautiful families just like theirs in every country,” Martin said.

It’s that unfailing commitment to human rights that won Martin the Wassmuth Center’s award.

Jess Westhoff, education programs manager for the Wassmuth Center, said that beyond her work, the overwhelming support for Martin made her stick out — four of her colleagues separately nominated her.

“Her nominators talked about the way that she focuses on creating experiences for her students in the classroom, making sure to connect them with diverse texts, opportunities for them to tell their stories, and explore other people’s stories,” Westhoff said. “But then also she’s such a strong advocate for her students outside of the classroom as well. That was another thing that was really impressive.”

When Martin found out about the award, she was “baffled.” Westhoff, she said, had to tell her four times before she believed it.

“I still cannot wrap my brain around this, but I can tell you that I am incredibly honored,” Martin said.

Martin seeks refuge in retirement because she’s ‘better unfettered’

At the end of this school year, Martin will retire. She’s seeking refuge from legislation and policy that could force her to compromise her values.

Because if the time came, Martin said, she wouldn’t bend to rules that would force her to eliminate books from her shelves, or censor her speech in the classroom.

“I’m better unfettered,” she explained.

During her retirement, she’ll focus full-time on children’s literature — a hobby that has been a side gig throughout her career in education. She already has one manuscript done. She’ll also focus on providing resources to teachers — curricular materials, professional development opportunities and more.

And she looks forward to working with the Wassmuth Center. After she accepted the award at the center’s gala on Saturday, Martin said she felt at home among the group who attended.

“When you’re on the side of love, compassion, mercy, justice, all of these things, it’s easy to feel like you are swimming upstream,” Martin said. “But once you get in a place where everyone loves everyone, and everyone is committed to justice and mercy — you need that. We all need that.”

Teacher: Camilla Boylan, Mountain View High School

Career: Boylan has taught at Mountain View High School for 15 years. She began her career as an English teacher and speech and debate coach, and transitioned to teach her true passion — theater — five years ago. Her motto, “dream sideways,” encourages her students to embrace differences, pursue their passions and navigate life with compassion.

Inspiration: Last year (her 15th year of teaching), Boylan was nominated by students for the prestigious Velma V. Morrison Performing Arts Educator of the Year Award for her impactful and inclusive teaching. She was awarded the accolade in June, alongside two other awards: her building’s Teacher of the Year Award and the West Ada School District’s Teacher of the Year Award.

From the moment recent graduate Ethan Hodson stepped foot in his first theater class at Mountain View High School, he knew educator Camilla Boylan was more than a run-of-the-mill teacher — she was in the business of transforming lives.

Hodson landed in the theater department halfway through his junior year. At that time, he was a shy, nervous teenager, and he was apprehensive about taking to the stage.

But by the end of his senior year, after a year-and-a-half as Boylan’s student, Hodson had blossomed into a confident young adult — one who could sing and sustain a 14-second note on stage as a supporting character in the school musical. And Hodson credits Boylan with his newfound assurance and preparation for life’s challenges.

“The impact she’s had on my life is immense,” Hodson said. “She exemplifies that idea of becoming more than just a teacher and going beyond just doing the curriculum in the classroom. She’s one of those teachers that you have in these formative years of life that helps you realize the person that you can become.”

Boylan built her program on the belief that “theater is for everyone.” She uses the stage to show all students that they are loved and accepted, while also pushing them to new horizons and lifting them into the limelight. She prepares students for life on — and off — the stage by teaching compassion, discipline and empathy.

And in 2020, Boylan took her teaching philosophy to the next level.

She created a unified theater class for students with special needs — a community that is typically underrepresented in high school theater productions and classrooms. In the class, students with disabilities can work with mentors to develop their skills and stage presence, and build their own dreams.

“That class has been the most rewarding class of my entire career,” Boylan said. “I have kids who would never be on the stage at any other time, who played little small roles and feel like they are the stars. They will do little shows for their parents and it’s the most fulfilling, incredible experience to be able to give them that.”

After three years, the significance of the class has only grown more apparent.

“It’s important as a teacher to make sure that we’re reaching everybody, not just the ones who fit the mold of what we think it should be, what society says it should be,” Boylan said. “That’s my legacy.”

And the impact of Boylan’s teaching has paid off.

This year, Boylan was awarded her building’s Teacher of the Year Award and the West Ada School District’s Teacher of the Year Award.

But the highest honor came as a result of her students, who nominated her for Idaho’s top award for theater educators: the Velma V. Morrison Performing Arts Educator of the Year Award. In their nomination, the students highlighted her “commitment and deep passion for her craft.”

Boylan won the award and was celebrated at the Morrison Center in June.

“Ms. Boylan has created transformative opportunities for her students through her innovative teaching methods and dedication to inclusivity,” reads a Morrison Center press release on the award. “Believing in the power of the performing arts to develop essential life skills, Ms. Boylan instills in her students the values of openness, support, and kindness toward one another…Through her holistic approach to teaching, Ms. Boylan prepares her students not only for their work on stage but also for the journey that lies ahead.”

“It’s very humbling,” Boylan said of earning the accolade. “It’s one thing for your peers to recognize you, but when your students go out of their way to recognize you, and then make sure others know of the impact you have made, it makes you want to be a better teacher.”

If you went to school in Idaho and have a teacher you’d like us to recognize, whether still in the classroom or retired, contact editor Jennifer Swindell, jswindell@IdahoEdNews.org. We’re looking forward to sharing your stories.

Teacher: Sarah Hurst, Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School

Career: Hurst is wrapping up her first year of teaching at MMAC, where she trains students to be certified nursing assistants. Hurst started her career as a CNA, and is now a registered nurse. She recommends that path to her students so they learn to appreciate CNAs as the “backbone” of the medical system.

Inspiration: From enthusiastically agreeing to play the Lorax in the senior play to cheering for students at competitions, Hurst brings a fresh energy to MMAC — a high-pressure charter school where most students graduate with around 60 college credits and at least one professional medical certification.

Do you have a favorite Idaho teacher you’d like to recognize? Contact editor Jennifer Swindell, JSwindell@idahoednews.org, and we’ll share your story.

Teaching was never part of Sarah Hurst’s plan. 

She started her career at a nursing home, doing laundry and caring for residents. After getting her nursing degree, she worked in case management, emergency rooms, primary care and telemetry. She tried a little bit of everything. 

But now, after her first year in the classroom at Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School, Hurst says she’s “found her calling.”

“It’s been the most amazing nine months ever,” Hurst said. “This is the best of both worlds.”

Part of Hurst’s teaching philosophy is vulnerability. 

With 15 years of nursing experience under her belt, Hurst wants to paint an accurate picture of the medical field for the students at MMAC — Idaho’s future doctors, nurses, EMTs and surgeons. 

From late nights and early mornings at the hospital to the harsh realities of being a certified nursing assistant, Hurst puts everything on the table — something recent MMAC graduate Ashlynn Heath says made class feel more honest, relatable and applicable. 

And one story left a profound impact on the class of 2023.

About one year before landing in the classroom, Hurst lost her hero and best friend.

She had spent over two years caring for her mom during her battle against Alzheimer’s disease. It became her full-time job after leaving the hospital. Hurst shared with students the emotional toll of caring for a loved one, and the harsh realities of the medical profession.

Her students took the story to heart.

On World Alzheimer’s Day — just one month into her first year of teaching — Hurst arrived at school to see nearly 200 high schoolers dressed up in purple to honor her mother’s legacy. Heath and her classmates made a T-shirt inscribed with “I wear purple for my mom,” signed their names on the back, and gave it to their teacher.

Taken aback by her students’ thoughtful gesture, Hurst framed the shirt and hung it on her classroom wall — next to a photo of her mom.

The students’ gesture was a testament to Hurst’s impact as a first-year teacher. 

Students at MMAC are go-getters — and they’re under immense pressure. Stress is high, especially for the seniors, who graduate with around 60 college credits, and spend the bulk of their senior year vying for spots in the nation’s top pre-med and science programs. Their high school graduation rate is 97% and their college go-on rate is nearly double the state’s rate. 

It’s a lot to put on a 17-year-old’s shoulders, said Heath. But Hurst’s endless encouragement and words of wisdom helped her persevere. 

Whether it was a light-hearted chat or a vent session, the senior made a habit of stopping into her favorite teacher’s classroom for emotional support and consolation during a turbulent senior year.

Hurst’s classroom was always open — students could pop in for a visit or to work on classwork and college applications. She listened to students’ needs when they felt overworked and burnt out, and she cheered them on at state competitions. 

She even agreed to play the Lorax — and make her own costume — for the senior play. Typically, parts in the play are reserved for students, but Heath said the senior class couldn’t resist asking their teacher to get involved. 

“She supports us and really listens to us…she lets us complain,” said Heath. “We just love her.” 

“I don’t love the movie, but the kids asked me,” said Hurst, laughing. “I’m excited they wanted me to be a part of it.”

To end the year, Hurst agreed to be the commencement speaker.  She was the Class of 2023’s first choice. 

“These kids are thoughtful. … I care about them so much,” Hurst said. “They’ve cried with me, they’ve laughed with me; I’ve cried with them, I’ve laughed with them. It’s a pretty rigorous school and the expectations are pretty high here, so to be a part of their journey is just very humbling.”

Student: Julie Yamamoto, Caldwell

Teacher: John Sollers, Vallivue High School

Career: Sollers taught English at Vallivue High School for 21 years, before moving to Lincoln City, Ore. He retired after 57 years of teaching and now lives on the Oregon Coast.

Inspiration: When Julie submitted her first essay as a college freshman, her writing professor returned it with one pressing question: “Who taught you how to write?” Her answer: Mr. John Sollers.

It’s been over 40 years since Julie Yamamoto graduated high school. In that time, she became a teacher, earned a doctorate degree and was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives, where she leads an influential education policy committee. She’s dedicated her career to education. 

Still, she speaks of her favorite teacher with admiration and humility.

He wasn’t your typical English teacher, Yamamoto said, sitting in a local coffee shop. Her eyes filled with tears as she began to recount stories about John Sollers. 

He wore mismatched ties just to strike a nerve with his more perfectionistic students, like Yamamoto. His ornery streak carried over into his lessons, where he strived to not only teach students how to read and write, but how to think critically and develop their own opinions. 

Sometimes, that required a little aggravation. 

“He would take positions (on class material) that would so infuriate me,” said Yamamoto. “I would get so animated, I’d nearly be pounding on the table.” 

“She was funny,” Sollers said, reflecting on Yamamoto’s time in his classroom. “She contributed to my classes in many different ways.” 

When Sollers called Yamamoto into his office to explain his pedagogy, he started by telling the teenager to “calm down.” 

He explained that he was trying to elicit a response from students, to cause people to want to have an opinion, Yamamoto said. He believed that anyone can merely have an opinion, but everyone should be able to follow their opinion up with enough support to back it up. 

Sollers wasn’t shy about critiquing students’ work — all as an effort to push them to their full potential.

When Yamamoto received a paper back from grading, it would be a “sea of red.” For some students, that might have been discouraging. But for her, it showed that he cared. 

“In every comment, every mark, I knew he gave a rip about what I had to say, and he wasn’t going to put up with my half-hearted attempts.” 

And his methods worked. 

Since graduating in 1976, Yamamoto has carried Sollers’ lessons with her through college courses, writing her dissertation and teaching in her own classroom.

“On the days where I thought there was no way I could do it, I pushed through…I didn’t want to disappoint John Sollers,” she said. 

Sollers’ 2022 retirement came after he began to have back problems. But he still finds ways to make his students feel appreciated. To him, they’re a part of his family. “Julie is one of my kids, they’re all my kids,” he said. 

And the love is shared. 

This year, his former students will pick him up and take him to the graduation ceremony at his last school, where he’ll watch a few of his kids walk across the stage. 

To this day, Yamamoto talks with her former teacher and looks for his Christmas card in the mail each year. 

“I just love that man,” she said. “His class wasn’t just a class, it was an experience. And if you were willing to invest and go along with the ride … well, what a ride.”