Elsbeth Kroeber

Elsbeth Kroeber (1882-1969) was a highly regarded American Biology teacher in the public schools of New York.[1] Recognized as the creator of the general biology curriculum for high school in the New York public schools, which came to be known as "The Kroeber Curriculum", she also co-authored the biology textbook "Adventures of Living Things"[2] used in high school biology classes. This text book was seen as a novel approach to biology when published in 1938.[3] Every year, the New York Biology Teachers Association awards the Elsbeth Kroeber Memorial Award to a graduating senior form the New York Public Schools in recognition of outstanding scholarship.

Family and early years

Born on November 28, 1882 in Manhattan to Florence Martin Kroeber (born in Cologne Germany in 1841)  and Johanna (née Muller) Kroeber (born in 1849) she was named Elise Elsbeth Kroeber[4] (https://www.geni.com/people/Elsbeth-Kroeber/6000000010451026991).  She had an older sister, Johanna K. Mosenthal (née Kroeber, born in Manhattan in 1880) as well as  two older brothers, Alfred L. Kroeber (born in New Jersey in 1876)  and Edward Kroeber (born in New Jersey in 1878).  She is the paternal aunt of Ursula K. LeGuin (https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10109/wikitree?itemKey=18616933&action=showRecord&indId=externalindividual-f1adbb4f00ac88907196528f700c0d98).

Career as an educator

First a biology teacher, Kroeber retired in 1954 as Assistant Principal at Midwood High School in New York City. However she continued her efforts in education for the next 10 years, serving as supervisor and board member for the Schools Volunteer Program of the Public Education Association, a tutoring program for the disadvantaged in New York City. She also developed and supervised in service courses to prepare teachers to become departmental chairs.

Elsbeth Kroeber Memorial Award Recipients
  • 1972 - Karen Joy Shaw
  • 1973 - David Burton Grossberg
  • 1977 - Ellen Cutler, Patricia Manning[5]
  • 1978 - Doreen Szczupiel[6]
  • 1981 - Aaron P. Turkewitz[7]
  • 1988 - Christine Ortiz, Sanya Tomsic[8]

References
  1. Wolff, Walter H. (December 1969). In: Elsbeth Kroeber Memorial Issue, The Teaching Biologist. Published the New York Biology Teachers Association, Inc. (ed. Otto P. Burgdorf)
  2. Kroeber, Elsbeth; Wolff, Walter Harold (1938). Adventures with living things;. Boston: D. C. Heath and company.
  3. Nathans, A. A.; Fried, A. A.; Liebson, B.; Weckstein, A.; Skutelsky, F. (1939-12-01). "Review". The American Biology Teacher. 2 (3): 76–77. doi:10.2307/4436973. ISSN 0002-7685.
  4. "Geneaology of Kroeber family".
  5. https://jdhsarchives.webs.com/01%20yearbooks/JDHS_77_SENIOR_RECOG.pdf
  6. https://jdhsarchives.webs.com/SeniorRecognition1978-1.pdf
  7. https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/voices.uchicago.edu/dist/4/582/files/2017/06/Turkewitz_cv-1fw8ks2.pdf
  8. "Senior Awards" (PDF). Schreiber Times, Paul D. Schreiber High School. 1988.
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