Star of Brooklyn: Marshall Tames

MARSHALL TAMES:

MEMBER OF COMMUNITY BOARD 14

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:  Marshall Tames is a Brooklyn native who is currently a member of Community Board 14, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for Midwood Development Corporation, a non-profit community based organization, helping to contribute by bringing up prevalent issues in the community that are geared towards the organization’s goal of pushing Midwood into the future.

Tames, a retired teacher, is a member of the United Federation of Teachers who helps teachers who are in need of representation when facing accusations such as inappropriate behavior towards students and unsatisfactory classroom management. He notices that this is an issues that a lot of substitute teachers face.

“Many substitute teachers are well qualified,” said Tames. “But a lot of them don’t get paid the respect that they deserve from the students when they temporarily fill positions.”

Tames is familiar with the process. The teachers who face these sorts of problems are reported to the Department of Education and once that occurs they can’t work as teachers until the allegations are disproved. He says that they may be reinstated but they aren’t paid at all during that period of time off.

“When it comes to teachers who are dealing with children, they are guilty until proven innocent,” said Tames. “It’s a bad process but those are the people that I represent.”

MOTIVATION:  Being able to relate to the teachers who are under trial is what drew Tames to do what he does. Spending most of his lifetime teaching, he is well aware that the instructors aren’t always at fault and neither are the students.

Tames states, “Sometimes the teachers are repeat offenders, but there are also those students who make it their goal to give substitute teachers a hard time.”

CAREER AND EDUCATION: After graduating from Midwood High School, Tames went on to obtain his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education at Long Island University, as well as his Master’s degree in the same field.

The schools where Tames has taught include Lynbrook North Junior High School in Long Island, and Abraham Lincoln Junior High School and Midwood High School in New York City.

Tames concluded his teaching career at Erasmus Hall High School where he was the athletic director from 2004 to 2011. With nearly half a lifetime of experience under his belt, he doesn’t have any future plans other than to stay involved in the voluntary work that he is presently doing.