William Appling taught choral music at Glenville High School in Cleveland (OH) in the 1950s and 1960s. I met him when I arrived as a novice teacher in 1956. While nearly all students were Black coming from working class and middle-class families in the Glenville neighborhood, only half of the faculty were Black when I began teaching history. A few years older than me, Appling had been at the school directing the choir and building a reputation as a demanding teacher who loved music, performance, and his students.
Decades later, one former student who became a music teacher, Dr. Marsha Kindall-Smith, remembered him in this way:
Appling also composed music, conducted ensembles and orchestras, and performed on piano and other instruments. He became an expert on the music of CONTINUE READING: Teachers I Respect and Admire–William Appling | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice