As school year closes, so do careers for education retirees

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Mt. Vernon School School Corporation director of alternative education Stan Daugherty, left, and Beverly White, cafeteria staff, with their retirement gifts from the school corporation. Daugherty worked for Mt. Vernon for three years during his 43-year career in education while White worked at the corporation for 14 years. 

HANCOCK COUNTY — More than 20 Hancock County school employees called it a career after the 2018-19 school year.

All of the retirees had a role in the education of thousands of students. Two local teachers who led classrooms for more than four decades recently looked back on their experiences for the Daily Reporter.

A lifelong ambition

Jill Wales spent her entire 42-year career in elementary education for Eastern Hancock Schools.

“As a child, that was what I always wanted to do,” she said of teaching, adding she often played school when she was a young girl.

Wales said she always liked Eastern Hancock’s smaller size, which she said allows for a tight-knit community that extends beyond the classroom.

“I enjoyed getting to know not only the children, but also their families,” she said.

The recently retired educator is looking forward to going on church trips and spending time with her children and grandchildren. But she’s not leaving teaching for good, she said, adding she plans to offer her services as a substitute teacher in the future.

As teachers like Wales retire, others are entering the field. Passion is a prerequisite for everyone considering the profession, she said.

“You need to make sure that you really love being around kids and you need to realize that going into it,” she said. “This isn’t going to be a job that’s for the money.”

It’s anything but a 9-to-5 job, Wales added.

“This is something that is going to take up time before school, after school, on the weekends; it’s just something you truly have to be dedicated to.”

‘I really enjoyed helping kids’

Stan Daugherty retired from the L.I.F.E. Center at Mt. Vernon High School after working for 43 years in education and coaching at five high schools and two colleges.

Daugherty grew up in Alexandria in Madison County, where he said he had excellent teachers and coaches.

“When I was young, I loved school and I loved athletics, so I knew pretty early I was going to be a teacher and a coach,” he said.

He led the L.I.F.E. Center since it started three years ago. The center’s acronym stands for Learning Is For Everyone, and its goal is to ensure students earn a high school diploma. It provides a smaller environment and fewer distractions than a traditional high school while allowing students to complete their studies using online curriculum.

Daugherty headed the alternative education program at Delta High School in Delaware County before coming to Mt. Vernon.

“I really enjoyed helping kids,” he said. “Kids who maybe normally wouldn’t graduate are able to graduate when they come into these programs.”

Like Wales, Daugherty isn’t completely calling it quits, either. He’s working for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a faith-based athletic organization he’s volunteered for in the past.

He said he’s seen a lot of changes in education throughout his four decades in the field, many of them having to do with accountability and state regulations. It can be overwhelming, he continued, adding his advice to educators just starting out is to remain engaged in their teaching.

“I would just encourage the younger teachers to just stay focused on the day-to-day work and particularly stay focused on the students that you’re helping,” he said.

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Here is a list of retirees from Hancock County’s public school districts this year.

Eastern Hancock Schools

Dave Pfaff, EHMS/HS principal

Mark Vail, EHES physical education teacher

Jill Wales, EHES teacher

Greenfield-Central Schools

Marvin Griffin, G-C maintenance

John Grose, G-CHS custodian

Sharon Johnson, G-CHS custodian

Elizabeth Kuhn, Eden Elementary/Maxwell Intermediate speech/language pathologist

Kendra Leary, G-CHS discipline secretary

Sharon Lime, G-CHS math

Johnnie McPherson, Maxwell Intermediate custodian

Tammy Oser, G-C audiologist

Donald Scott, G-C school psychologist

Jill Slinker, G-CHS english

Candy Smith, G-CHS science

Ann Vail, G-C associate superintendent

Lee Ann Vaughn, G-CHS special education

Dave Walker, G-C director of Catamount

Tony Zurwell, G-C business manager

Mt. Vernon Schools

Stan Daugherty, MVHS director of alternative education

Candy Downey, MV bus driver

Beverly White, MVHS cafeteria staff

Southern Hancock Schools

Justin Crowder, SH school psychologist

Don Perdue, SH director of maintenance and grounds

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A list of retiring faculty and staff members from the county’s four public school districts is on Page AX.

We asked you to reminisce about teachers that made an impact on your life. Here is what you told us. Page AX

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