Marvin H. Franks, in a 2022 photo from Voorhees University, where he was inducted into the alumni hall of fame.
ANSONIA – Coming to work every day as a teacher in Ansonia never really felt like work for Marvin H. Franks.
“I loved my students so much that I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do this,” Franks told the Valley Indy during an interview Monday (Feb. 19). “I would do it all over again, with no pay.”
Franks, 79, was Ansonia schools’ first certified, black male teacher when he began his job in 1970 at the former Willis School.
He left an indelible mark on the school district and the Ansonia community after dedicating 40 years of his life to teaching and coaching Ansonia students. A four-time Ansonia Teacher of the Year, Franks retired in 2010.
Franks will be recognized during a ceremony in his honor, scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 24), to mark Black History Month. Mayor David Cassetti and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brotherhood Awards Committee will host the ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Ansonia Senior Center, 65 Main St. Doors will be open at 9:30 a.m. and the public is welcome to attend. For those who can’t make it in person, the event can also be viewed online via Zoom (log-in information is located on the flyer attached to this story).
The MLK Brotherhood Awards Committee for the past 38 years has been recognizing notable Ansonia residents and others whose untold stories deserve a place in the spotlight. Committee member and co-founder Ralphine Siggars brought Franks’ name to Mayor David Cassetti as this year’s honoree.
“There are many untold stories that reveal the best of individuals who stepped up when duty called, broke color barriers or quietly made their communities better, one person at a time,” Siggars said. “These are the individuals who strengthen our communities through extraordinary everyday acts of service done with reliability and commitment, but who seldom receive recognition.”
Siggars said it’s important for today’s youth to learn about the contributions made by those, like Franks, that came before them. Siggars said her daughter played softball for Franks in the late 1980s, and his teaching and coaching style were like none other.
“He was very humble and for him, it wasn’t all about winning, he took a personal interest in each child, and really cared about the kids,” Siggars said.
Former Ansonia Alderman and Ansonia Pop Warner President Keith Maynard recalled when he had Franks as his sixth-grade teacher at Willis School.
“He was a wonderful teacher, always breaking the assignment down so everyone could understand and learn,” Maynard said. “He was attentive to the students that needed that extra push. Funny story, I liked this girl in class and somehow he knew it, so he moved my seat next to hers. The desks sat two students side by side, and we started dating afterwards,” Maynard said.
Maynard also remembered how anytime a former student came back to visit Franks in the classroom, he treated them like celebrities.
“Everything came to a halt, and you became the lesson for that particular class,” Maynard said.
Shawn Venson, former youth coach and longtime custodian at Ansonia Middle School, was on Franks’ only undefeated freshman basketball team in the early 1980s and had nothing but respect for Franks’ coaching abilities.
“He was straightforward, and he would talk to you, never talked at you,” Venson said. “He was a big-time motivator. When you’re a young kid, a freshman in high school, he was a great male figure. He always told us we could become whatever we wanted to, and with his can-do attitude, he was just a genuine person who you knew really cared about you.”
Because of the impact Franks had on Venson and countless others, Venson recently made a request to city and school leaders to consider naming the Ansonia Middle School gymnasium after Franks. The aldermen at its Feb. 13 were all for it and passed the request along to the Ansonia Board of Education, which is expected to act on it at its meeting Wednesday (Feb. 21).
Venson said Franks developed many programs at Willis, including the multi-cultural program, science and chess clubs and a homework club. He also organized girls and boys intramural basketball teams, coached AHS’ varsity softball team for 16 years, and led the AHS freshman boys to numerous championships.
For Franks, teaching and coaching brought joy to his life. Being the school district’s first black male teacher wasn’t as big a deal for him as just being in the classroom.
“The most important thing to me is that I was on a mission to teach these young kids. I love my students,” Franks said. “We always had fun, so much that many times they didn’t realize they were learning.”
Franks recalled when he’d incorporate a fundraising activity, like selling hot dogs outside Willis School, to raise money for a bus to transport his students to a local nursing home, to sing to the residents.
“I made sure the kids always came dressed for success, in shirts and ties, while they were selling hot dogs,” Franks said. “It was teaching them how to work, teaching them discipline and how to be entrepreneurs, while at the same time they were having fun,” Franks said.
Mayor Cassetti said he didn’t hesitate when Siggars brought forth Franks’ name for the honor.
“He is a great guy, a true role model for the kids and this is long overdue,” Cassetti said.
Here’s the info to watch the ceremony online via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 884 9008 4774
Passcode: 459604
