Two fallen teachers honored in Emporia
EMPORIA (KSNT) – Friday, the National Teachers Hall of Fame honored two educators that died in the line of duty. In this case, teaching.
The National Memorial to Fallen Educators honors teachers around the country that died while doing their job.
One of those was high school principal Dan Marburger. He sacrificed his life in a school shooting in January in Perry, Iowa. The shooting resulted in the death of Marburger and one of his 6th grade students.
Marburger’s wife, Elizabeth, was in attendance today. She said today’s ceremony was a rollercoaster of emotions.
“It’s bitter that you’re a part of it,” she said. “But, I’m honored that after what’s happened, my kids will have a place that we can come and see his name etched in stone forever. And, come and pay tribute to him.”
Carol Strickland, the Emeritus Director of the Hall of Fame, wants people to walk away with a sense of appreciation.
“They do a lot more than just go to the classroom, or drive the bus or serve lunch. They touch children’s lives, and they sometimes become the first responder. And, a lot of people don’t think about that. It’s not in their contract that says you’re going to throw yourself in front of a bullet,” Strickland said.
But, through it all, Elizabeth Marburger said she still tries to stay positive.
“There’s so much awful in the world that we have to work really hard to see the good. And sometimes you get bogged down by the awful situation,” she said. “But, it has been amazing and we get to see the good every day. We get letters, we get comments from complete strangers. Hopefully we can offer all of that support to each other day to day instead of just in times of tragedy.”
The other educator honored is West Virginia teacher Ryan Lantz. He died in February after being hit by a car in his high school parking lot.
This evening, there was a separate ceremony that inducted five teachers from around the country into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
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