Edcuation Leader Rodney Ellis Dies Suddenly Print
Education
By Administrator   
Monday, 12 September 2016 15:53
Rodney Ellis, a former classroom teacher and N.C. Association of Educators president, died Saturday unexpectedly.
 
Ellis served the maximum two, two-year terms as NCAE president. He told friends he looked forward to spending more time with his family, and returning to a Winston-Salem classroom to teach language arts to eighth-graders at a school that served a high number of lower-income families.
 
The Raleigh News and Observer reports that Saturday morning, Ellis awoke in sudden physical distress and never recovered according to his family. 
 
Several state and federal officials and education advocates expressed their condolences over the weekend. Gov. Pat McCrory said Ellis’ devotion to education was a “labor of love,” while U.S. Rep. Alma Adams called him a “true fighter for equality.”
 
Ellis and his wife have three grown children and a daughter and son who are in Forsyth schools. Ellis was also active in many youth programs and coached an AAU boys’ basketball team, the SwishCity Magic. The couple’s youngest child is a member of the team. Ellis had a requirement that the players work on their reading skills at his home after practice.
Last Updated on Monday, 12 September 2016 15:59