Beloved teacher retires after 51 years at Avinger school
Bettie Warren has retired this year. After 51 years of teaching at the same school, she’s retiring even as she’s become the teacher of grand-children of some of her students.
If the audience at her surprise retirement party Saturday had their way, they’d keep her another 51.
“She is family. That’s it,” one student-now co-worker said. “We’re family.”
Friends and co-workers at the Avinger Independent School District gave a secret going away party for Bettie Saturday, June 4, at The Legacy Center in Hughes Springs. All was quiet leading up to the event. Very quiet.
“Do you know I’ve sinned?” said school secretary Marion Aycock at the center as everyone waited for Bettie to appear. “For two months, I’ve had to lie to Bettie Warren maybe two times daily about this event. Keeping it from her. You know how much she knows about everything going on around here.”
Well, it worked. Bettie’s face crinkled when she walked with co-worker Marion Aycock through the door and saw people in the elegant surroundings standing and applauding. She was surprised. From then on, it was a contest between bright smiles, hugs and tears.
“I just wanted you to stay long enough to teach my children,” one former student told her.
Warren, who lives in Linden, has primarily been a teacher of language arts in grades four to six for the school. She is known, however, for the wide variety of activities she guides or joins in, from cheerleading to athletics and any other task the students may be doing.
“She is often like a mother to every student,” co-worker Nancy Walker tells. “The kids always look for her at every activity they do.”
A special part of the reception was the time given to comments from the audience; a mostly positive and funny roasting by Walker, her friend of 36 years; music by student Justin Hall and the resolution from the school board that the hall in the elementary school will be officially be named the Bettie Warren Hallway.
Avinger ISD is a small school district established in 1912 at the southwestern corner of Cass County and extending into a portion of Marion County. The school has about 150 to 200 students annually in grades K-12.
Several speaking of Warren’s 51 years said Avinger is a school hardly anyone, once employed, wanted to leave. Walker, the teacher with 36 years, said she could recall that a late teacher Bobbi Fort also taught at the school for over 50 years.
“We become such an important part of each other’s lives,” Walker said. “Many educators don’t get to have that experience, but it was Bettie’s. It was the most important thing to her.”
Warren’s admirers shared these comments:
Ken Loyd, noted coach at Avinger: “When I may have chewed out one of my players too strongly, they’d go to Bettie. Like an assistant coach, she’d tell them, ‘He cares for you. That’s why he treated you so hard.’ You know, she was more than an assistant to me.”
Nancy Walker, co-worker and fellow teacher for 36 years:
“I worked with her for 36 years. You could tell. The kids would come back, and they would always want to see Miss Bettie.”
Online Internet Student:
“My favorite teacher. She tried to inspire me to be my best at a time when I didn’t give a flip.”
Justin Hall, musician and student: “I loved her. We all loved her.”
Superintendent Jackie Smith: “She knew every student and made them feel special. The student would say, “Miss Bettie knows me. I must be someone special. Miss Bettie knows me.”