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Marsha Smith of Olney, Md., a third generation educator who has spent 33 years championing the cause of public education, says she became a teacher to work with students and change the future.
With my skills and my experience, I’ll be able to make a difference,’’ says Smith, a member of the National Education Association (NEA) Executive Committee.
Smith, a health and physical education teacher and team leader at Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, Md., began serving on the Executive Committee in 2002. On Sept. 1, 2005, she began her second term.
Teaching is part of her family heritage. Her grandmother, mother and father were educators. Smith’s husband, Reynauld, teaches at Eastern High School in Washington, D.C. and her son, Husan, is a special education instructional assistant in the Montgomery County (Md.) school system. Education is not just a profession to me. It’s in my blood and in my soul,’’ says Smith.
Eldest daughter in a military family, she calls herself an Army Brat. Smih has lived overseas in Germany and Japan as well as in states from Kansas to Alabama, New Jersey to Maryland. I learned so much growing up and moving with my family. First, I learned home is where your family is. I have a very close family that supports each other; Second, I learned to make friends and still have friends that go back many years; Third, I learned to accept people as individuals, don’t stereotype or make hasty assumptions. Each person has their own special qualities. Fourth, I learned to pick up languages easily which has been a skill that I use today; Finally, I learned to set goals for myself and work hard to achieve them.
When talking about her NEA work, Smith says, I am dedicated to working for the professional and economic future of education professionals and ensuring the basic right that every student has to a great public school. The world is changing and this gives NEA and our members, the opportunity to engage and create enthusiasm about quality education.
Smith, born in Fort Benning, Ga., is a graduate of Tuskegee University and a member of the Phi Delta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sororities. She joined her first NEA chapter 32 years ago and has been active in state affiliates in New Jersey, Texas and Maryland. Her commitment extends beyond the classroom. Smith has been a consultant on teenage health issues and school health care systems. She is past Chair of Maryland’s Professional Standards Board and has served on NEA’s Board of Directors. She has been a delegate to Education International.
The NEA Executive Committee, the governing body for the 3.2 million-member organization, consists of nine members three executive officers and six others elected at large. | 