‘Teacher Tales’ takes the stage to share stories of the classroom

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - While schools across the state of Alaska are seeking ways to stretch funding and retain teachers, one organization wants to share stories on a larger stage.

“Teacher Tales” took to the stage at Beartooth Theatrepub in Anchorage Wednesday night for the general public. The event featured seven educators, both current and retired, during a show that organizer Sarah Cronick described as “medicine.”

“We created this because we are educators and we know educators and we love educators,” Cronick said. “They are invested in the most important thing that we have right now in our society, which is our young people, and this is just an expression of gratitude. The stories that these educators are going to share tonight will knock your socks off.”

Cronick partnered with Matt Sugita, an Anchorage teacher of 31 years, to make the event possible. Cronick said that the event comes at a time when Alaska is facing a “crisis in education.”

“There’s a lot of low morale, and it’s a way for us to heal as a community, as a group,” Sugita said. “And not just the teachers, but the students too, and everybody’s parents. Everybody needs to get involved.”

Sugita and Cronick co-hosted Tuesday’s show, emceeing the stories of the seven other educators on stage.

Among the seven was Richard Bierer, a math teacher at Anchorage STrEaM Academy, before that a teacher at East Anchorage High School, and Newhalen School near Lake Iliamna.

After working in the classrooms of Anchorage, as well as a smaller town, Bierer said what Alaskan teachers need is support.

“We’re able to handle what’s inside of the classroom very well,” Bierer said. “But just that continued support of people, and human growing, and becoming community members, and inviting them in and teaching them how to operate outside of the classroom, I think would be our biggest help.”

Current teachers weren’t the only ones sharing their story either. Retired teacher Tami Phelps taught at Denali Montessori Elementary School up until 2009. Now in her retired life, she is a visual artist, but still emphasizes the value of education and the Montessori philosophy of “following the child.”

“Respect for self, for others, and the environment,” Phelps said. “I really believe that and that has carried through with my artwork, and hopefully it did with my teaching.”

Seeking to broaden the focus beyond just brick and mortar schools, Teacher Tales also invited those outside of the classroom, but with deep ties to education.

“My wife was a teacher for over 20 years,” said storyteller Jeffrey Chon. “And then when we started this business six years ago, we went all in on the business to import coffee and roast to our beautiful state.”

Chon and his wife run Genesis Coffee Lab, which imports and roasts coffee from Ethiopia, where they’ve also invested time and money into developing a local school. That school has grown from 50 students to over 1000 in the last 20 years, according to Chon.

“A big mission of our company isn’t just to take coffee and sell it here,” Chon said. “But to actually give back a percentage of our profits back to different initiatives and educational projects in Ethiopia that we’ve been partnered with for literally two decades.”

Tuesday was not the first show for Teacher Tales, and they hope to grow it further into others. Ultimately, Cronick and Sugita hope to create a feature-length documentary with the stories that are shared with them.

“These are some of the wisest, most skilled people that should be revered in every possible way,” Cronick said. “Because you know, who are they caring and tending for? You know, that’s the future, and if we’re not investing everything in these young ones, what are we doing?”

“I agree,” Sugita said in response.

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