On Friday, a good friend and colleague and I held a celebration for Mary, who will be officially retiring at the end of June. Mary was forced into retirement because she was one of the 26,000 teachers who received final lay-off notices. She has worked as a teacher in my school district for over 30 years. She is also one of only six teachers in the District who did not hold certification for teaching ELL's, so that was the justification the District used in getting rid of some of their long-term teachers.
We had asked Mary who she wanted at her retirement party. We invited the people Mary wanted and had a really good turn-out of almost fifty people that held a special place in her heart. Many were former colleagues who have since left the District but are teaching in other districts or who still work in some way in education.
Just before people started leaving, we gave Mary her gift. She was surprised by it (enough money to purchase an I-Phone along with a very hefty gift card from Amazon). She was overwhelmed by the generosity, but I know by the look on her face, extremely pleased that so many of us feel truly blessed to have Mary in our lives.
As pictures were being taken, someone had the suggestion that all the former presidents of our association pose for a picture. Mary also said that I needed to be in the picture as well as the president-elect. As I stood waiting for the various camaras to flash, I looked at the row of women I was standing with. At Mary's party, there were five past presidents - all of them women, all of them strong and passionate about education and the students they have taught over the years.
These women have all told me that they are there for me. They have all offered to help, be my sounding board, and hold my hand (if needed) over the next two years during my tenure as president of my association. I could not help but be struck by the legacy that I am now part of, this legacy of strong women who have been at the helm, leading the way.
It was an awesome feeling.
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9 comments:
Sounds like you'll be as awesome as all of them.
What an amazing feeling--good for you.
That sounds wonderful.
As far as the ELL stuff goes, my district will no longer hire teachers without that certification. It irks me because I got a master's in it and now it is so easy to get.
Awesome! You rock!
Oh that is lovely. I know you will do a wonderful job, because your passion for education is so evident in your writing. A big thank you to your friend, for her many years dedicated to the education of so many young minds.
This made me cry.
Being part of something much bigger than yourself is always awe-inspiring. Congratulations on two points: having Mary in your life, and being the association's president-elect.
You will do an awesome job! Continue to hold dear to your zeal and strong commitment.
Congrats and stay strong. Good teachers are very much needed.
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