His Story
Stewart Bogdanoff spent his entire 28-year teaching career in the Lakeland Central School District in Yorktown Heights, New York, joining as a physical education and health teacher in 1965 and rising to Head Teacher of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in 1984. Community service was part of his life from the start — as a college student in 1960 he answered President Kennedy’s call to public service and began working with disabled athletes, a commitment he carried through his entire career.
He developed “Project Super Heart,” a heart disease intervention and education program for young children that spread to other teachers across Westchester County, and authored several handbooks for teachers and parents, including “Identifying the Child with Perceptual-Motor Problems” and “Finger Dexterity Exercises for Young Children.” He also created the K-6 physical education progress report and a perceptual-motor screening device still used by his district to assess incoming preschoolers, and helped write statewide syllabi in health, physical, and safety education for the New York State Education Department.
His honors built steadily across his career and culminated in national recognition: 1983 New York State Teacher of the Year, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (selected by former students), Who’s Who in American Education, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s Project Inspiration Award, and — in 1992 — a Point of Light Award presented personally by President George Bush, along with a letter from the President himself thanking Bogdanoff and his students for their charitable fundraising work.
Beyond the Classroom
For 25 years Bogdanoff volunteered as a coach for cross country, basketball, and gymnastics teams before and after school, and for 28 years worked with the Special Olympics Program, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Easter Seal Society, and the American Heart Association — raising thousands of dollars for research and support for people with debilitating illnesses in Westchester County. For over a decade he volunteer-coached disabled athletes, including cerebral palsy and Les Autres athletes, at the local, state, and national level, and coached young women in the Colgate Women’s Games, with one of his runners finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash finals at Madison Square Garden.
Each year for thirteen years he brought his students into the American Heart Association’s “Jump Rope for Heart” fundraiser, ultimately raising more than $30,000. In 1986 he started and sponsored the Lakeland High School Girls’ Lacrosse Team, which won its first sectional championship, and he sponsored youth soccer, basketball, and softball teams for the Shrub Oak Athletic Club and the American Youth Soccer Organization throughout his career. He also volunteered for 25 years with the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School PTA to help enrich student life.
Philosophy Into Action
Bogdanoff believed physical education held “an enviable and responsible position of leadership in all dimensions of learning” because it engaged the whole child rather than just an isolated subject. That belief showed up in how former students remember him — not as someone confined to a gymnasium, but as a constant, available presence in their daily lives:
“It was in that car that I learned from him. Yes, I learned from him in class at school. But, the important things were taught in that little black car. We’d discuss what I was reading, what I had learned in school, what was going on at home, how to get along with my arch enemy, how to talk to boys… He taught me that I mattered, that he cared about me, that he valued my opinions.”— Jennifer V. Miehl, Former Student and Nominator
“Mr. Bogdanoff is a great gym teacher… He is nice and helpfull to all the children. He Help’s the children get into their class rooms without geting hurt. He always smiles at us in the hallway.”— Breanne O’Toole, Second Grade Student, Thomas Jefferson School
In His Own Words
It is the teacher’s manifest destiny as a professional, as it is our manifest destiny as a nation, to ensure that each and every child has the opportunity to be all that they can be.”— from his essay, “A Classroom Teacher”
“Awards are nice, but what is most gratifying is the knowledge that you have helped to improve the quality of life for thousands of people less fortunate than yourself.”— from his essay, “Outside the Classroom”
What Others Said
One of the nicest things about being President is that I often receive letters telling me about the good works that are being performed by dedicated teachers and outstanding young Americans… To organize one volunteer charity event requires time, hard work, and dedication, but to coordinate four is a major accomplishment. I commend each of you for your devotion to helping others.”— President George Bush, The White House
“Stu Bogdanoff is, to us, unique in that within the framework of teaching physical education, he focuses on developing skills and attitudes that one hopes will become part of the student’s way of life. Giving, caring, responsibility and commitment are only some of the qualities Stu Bogdanoff embodies – and passes on.”— Patricia Wells, Executive Director, American Heart Association, Westchester/Putnam Region
“With deep respect, love and thanks I nominate my former teacher and coach, Stewart Bogdanoff, for induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. He has inspired me, and countless others, to become a knowledgeable, caring, and compassionate person concerned with the welfare of others as well as my own self-fulfillment.”— Jennifer V. Miehl, Nominator