Dr. Janice Pugh
On any given day if you visit Dr. Janice Pugh’s classroom, you may be surprised to see her sitting with students in an informal circle, discussing the issues of life. It’s that hands-on caring, respectful kind of learning that takes place in her classroom that causes one former student—now 21 years old—to carry in his wallet, a picture of Dr. Pugh from when he was seven years old. It’s also that special relationship that prompts another student to call her on her birthday; and he’s been doing that for more than 13 years.
“These little things let me know that I’m doing something right. To have students stay connected with me, from the time they are seven years old to when they become adults, means the world to me,” said Dr. Pugh.
She’s one of those educators that we sometimes read about, who goes above and beyond to connect with and care about her students. For example, Dr. Pugh and her students have been hosting fundraisers—bake sales and fish fries—after school, on the weekends and in different venues, to raise money for a special occasion.
“This year I want to take ‘my kids’ to the Pfister Hotel to sit down and have an elegant meal. I want to expose them to another world; one that many of them would never know, where it not for this outing. I want these kids to see a world outside of McDonald’s and to understand that this can be their world, if they work hard for it,” said Dr. Pugh.
Dr. Pugh has been exposing students to new experiences outside the classroom for years. She has taken students on field trips to places like the Chicago Field Museum and the Chicago Shedd Aquarium. She’s also hosted ‘soul food’ luncheons for students and their parents and a Christmas Tree Decorating Day luncheon, as a way to engage and communicate with parents. Last December, more than 27 parents attended.
“These events allow me to connect with my parents and communicate their child’s progress with them. I have been fundraising for students for more than 20 years. The field trips and outings are a way for me to recognize my students who are on the right track,” said Dr. Pugh.
A native of Milwaukee, Dr. Pugh is a highly qualified, committed and creative educator at Starms Discovery Elementary School. She received her bachelor’s degree in Africology and her master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also has a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.
She gets her work ethic honestly, growing up—one of seven siblings—Dr. Pugh shares that trait with her dad who she said was a workaholic, while her mom was the nurturer.
“I grew up in a strict, Christian home. My father worked 31 years at Briggs and Stratton. My mother worked for Milwaukee Public Schools until my brother got sick, then she stayed home to take care of him. I get my work ethic from my father and my nurturing spirit from my mom,” said Dr. Pugh.
She also credits her parents with instilling in her the value of a good education, and she has taken that to heart, as evidenced by the degrees she has amassed.
Dr. Pugh started out in the Milwaukee Public School System (MPS) 23 years ago as a paraprofessional. She soon realized that she could be even more effective as a teacher, so she returned to school.
“Teaching is a gift that God gave me to work with children in order to help them do better for themselves. In my classroom, I tell my students that if they want something out of life, they have to work hard to get it. When I see how some of our children are growing up today, it motivates me to encourage them to work, respect each other, and find ways to make their lives better,” she said.
Dr. Pugh is working toward becoming an administrator with MPS.
“If I become an administrator, it will not diminish the work I do in the classroom. I should be able to reach even more kids than those in one classroom. I already know the importance of positively impacting students, so I would be in a better position to help more students. Your position should never keep you from desire to work with kids,” she said.
According to Dr. Pugh, many of today’s children don’t receive some of the basic training that children used to receive at home, for a number of reasons. She said that parents don’t come to parent-teacher conferences and that, too often, the only time teachers interact with parents is when their children are involved in some negative altercation at school.
“We were brought up the old school way. We learned respect at home. Children are not being taught respect and the value of education. Parents today are younger and some are not as supportive as they should be. Some of that is not necessarily their fault. They don’t know how to be supportive, because they were brought up differently—not like we were. The problem is some parents don’t know how to be parents; they want to be their children’s friend. Some parents expect educators to teach their kids everything. I try to build relationships with my students where we talk about life issues. We discuss things like their moods and how to handle issues in life that affect them, as we sit together in a circle. Sometimes as educators we fail to build that sense of community within the classroom. I respect the kids and they respect me,” said Dr. Pugh
Dr. Pugh uses the outings she and the students hold fundraisers for, as opportunities to expose students to a different world.
“I try to give them experiences that they would never have. Sometimes the only dining out experience these students have is going to McDonald’s. They know about guns, drugs and prostitution—because they see it in their neighborhoods. I want to take them out of that environment and expose them to another world. I want them to see that there’s another life that they can have, and if they work hard, that’s the life they can have. You don’t have to rob or steal to get what you want—you can earn it by working hard,” she said.
Dr. Pugh believes that the community must do a better job of coming together, reaching out to parents, supporting them and supporting the students.
“When people are trying to do something positive with our children, I want us to come together as a community and support them. The media reports on negative activities in our community, but I’m trying to reach out to families and I could use support from the community. I need people to stand up and help, so that these children become better human beings. Too often we take it for granted when positive things happen in our community. We need to stop complaining (as a community) and step up to find ways to make a difference,” she said.
Through her innovative teaching efforts, Dr. Pugh is receiving some positive media.
“Last August, my students were on Fox6 News because of a solar eclipse project that we worked on. They also came out to interview our students during the flu epidemic—and they did a wonderful job. Because of that coverage, the STEM Shuttle Bus came to Frances Starms. STEM Shuttle Bus representatives contacted me and ask if they could come to Frances Starms to share their science workstation with the school. This project costs over $16,000. This bus had a science station for third grade to 8th grade,” said Dr. Pugh.
These are just a few of the reasons why individuals continue to remember and thank Dr. Pugh, even into their adult years. She cares about her students. She makes a difference. She goes above and beyond the classroom, and her students love and appreciate her for her efforts.