Collins, Marva (1936–)
Collins, Marva (1936–)
African-American educator. Born Marva Delores Knight, Aug 31, 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama; attended Bethlehem Academy; graduate of Clark College in Atlanta; m. Clarence Collins; children.
Taught in Alabama for 2 years; moved to Chicago (1959); taught in Chicago's public-school system for 14 years (1961–75); opened school on 2nd floor of her home (1975), which became Westside Preparatory School (later Marva Collins Preparatory School); with her methodology, had such success with students formerly labeled unteachable that she came to the attention of the media, appearing on "60 Minutes" and "Good Morning America"; her life was the basis for the CBS movie "The Marva Collins Story," starring Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman; with Civia Tamarkin, wrote Marva Collins Way (1982).