By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator
Before Maureen Bogowitz became an award-winning educator at Athens ISD, she was a dedicated parent volunteer … as well as stay-at-home mom of two, children’s choir teacher, Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout Troop leader, and holder of a degree in English and comparative literature. In retrospect, becoming a teacher with that background seems practically inevitable.
“They roped me in through the PTO,” laughed Bogowitz just outside her office door at Athens Middle School. On her wall is the iconic image of John Lennon in a sleeveless New York City t-shirt and shades — not typical “teacher” decor, but somehow perfect for a woman who describes herself as “a dreamer.”
In the early 2000s, Bogowitz was the PTO president at Athens Intermediate School (now Central Athens Elementary). That experience led to substitute work at AIS, then to a long-term sub situation and, finally, to a full-time position in 2004 teaching at that campus.
Six years later, Bogowitz was chosen as the District Teacher of the Year.
“I didn’t feel like I deserved it,” she said. Apparently, no one agreed with her assessment, as she was also named Regional Teacher of the Year in 2010.
It took four or five years as an educator, she said, to feel as though her feet were firmly planted. During that time, she cites four things that created success: supportive campus leadership, mastery of subject curriculum, meaningful data to track student progress, and learning effective classroom management techniques. She views the last ingredient as the yeast in the bread; without it, everything else falls flat.
“If you can’t manage your classroom, you’re not going to be able to teach,” she said. “That’s the relationship part. … (Educators) have to see it as necessary. They have to be able to self-evaluate and say, ‘I messed that up.’ That comes with experience. I believe the teacher always has the power to change the situation in the classroom.”
It wasn’t long into her teaching career that Bogowitz took on the duties of a master teacher and served as a mentor to others while maintaining her position in the classroom. For the last several years, she worked as an instructional coach, moving to Athens Middle School two years ago. She’s currently the academic dean at AMS and working on a Master’s degree in school counseling.
“She is passionate about our students,” said AMS Principal Jennifer Risinger. “Mrs. Bogowitz goes above and beyond for students around the clock. Not only do students rely on her, but staff feed off her positive energy as well.”
Bogowitz, whose children Bryana and Mason both graduated from Athens High School, is a passionate champion of the importance of public education.
“Public education is the great equalizer,” she said. “Every child who walks through that door has the same chance as everyone else. Is it harder for some kids? Yes. But we work very hard to equalize it. … It may sound trite, but we’re raising the future of our community. … We want our kids to come back with their own families and make a difference.”