[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
THE RETIREMENT OF DOROTHY MITCHELL FROM THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY BOARD OF 
                               EDUCATION

  Mr. HEFLIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that an article 
from the January 6, 1994 edition of the Florence, AL Times Daily 
announcing the retirement of Dorothy Mitchell from the Lauderdale 
County Board of Education be printed in the Record.
  Dot, as she is known to her many friends, colleagues, and students, 
was actively involved in the field of education for 40 years, and will 
be sorely missed by those who knew and worked with her over the years. 
I wish her all the best for a long, happy, and healthy retirement.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 ``It's the Most Important Job''; Mitchell Completes 40-Year Career in 
                            Public Education

                          (By Vicki Pounders)

       Florence--Children and their education have been a major 
     part of Dorothy ``Dot'' Mitchell's life for the past 40 
     years.
       ``All my life I've been concerned with children,'' said 
     Mitchell, who is retiring from the Lauderdale County Board of 
     Education. ``I love children. I love being around them. It 
     was just born with me.''
       Mitchell, a Franklin County native, graduated from Florence 
     State Teachers College in 1952 with a degree in elementary 
     education. She begin teaching first grade at Central 
     Elementary School in the fall of 1952. She taught in various 
     capacities in the Lauderdale County and Florence school 
     systems.
       When Osbie J. ``Hot'' Linville became superintendent of the 
     Lauderdale County Schools in 1969, he wanted Mitchell to work 
     in the central office.
       ``I knew Dot from years past when I was coaching out at 
     Central High School,'' Linville said, ``I knew that she had 
     an excellent relationship with the students she taught at 
     Powell School back then.''
       Linville said he knew Mitchell was devoted to the people 
     she worked with--both the students, parents and fellow 
     teachers.
       ``She has been and still is dedicated to serving people,'' 
     he said. ``She's always doing for other people.''
       Those qualities were among many that inspired Linville to 
     bring Mitchell into administration. ``Personally, I had made 
     up my mind that I was going to recommend her for the first 
     position that came open,'' he said.
       That position was supervisor of instruction, a job as 
     equally important to Mitchell as the time she spent in the 
     classroom.
       ``I enjoyed both segments,'' said Mitchell who received the 
     education specialist degree at the University of North 
     Alabama after her move to the central office. ``I loved 
     working with the boys and girls, and working with teachers. 
     The teachers and administrators have been very good to me. I 
     certainly feel that I've been able to help someone every day, 
     whether they were teachers or janitors.''


                              many changes

       As one might expect, Mitchell has seen many changes in 
     education during her career.
       ``The biggest change is scheduling,'' she said. ``We're 
     trying to schedule so many things in the same amount of time. 
     We need to slow down, take more time to concentrate.''
       Mitchell said that in addition to having so many new 
     subjects added to the basics--computer science, for example--
     students now have more outside interests such as sports and 
     other extracurricular activities.
       ``They all have more global opportunities to keep them from 
     learning,'' Mitchell said. ``A good teacher uses these 
     opportunities to teach, and a bad teacher blames these 
     opportunities for their failure to teach.''
       But there are other things that never change.
       ``Many things have changed during my 40 years in education, 
     but there is still nothing like the excitement of seeing a 
     child solve a problem or beam with pride over getting the 
     right answer,'' Mitchell said. ``Children today are no 
     different from children 40 years ago.''


                           reception planned

       A reception for Mitchell will be held 2-4 p.m. today at the 
     board of education office on Middle Road. The public is 
     invited, and a special invitation is extended to all the 
     students Mitchell taught over the years.
       Mitchell also serves as a Lauderdale County Commissioner, a 
     member of the board of directors of E-911 and Central Heights 
     United Methodist Church. She has also served on the boards of 
     Riverbend, the American Heart Association and the American 
     Cancer Society.
       She has some plans for her retirement, too.
       ``We plan to do some traveling and I want to do some things 
     with my church,'' she said. ``I'm also going to spend more 
     time with my three grandchildren.''
       But just because Mitchell will be out of the day-to-day 
     goings-on in education doesn't mean she'll stop being 
     interested in the students or those who teach them.
       ``I hope they will begin each day with a new slate and 
     challenge and encourage each child and each person that they 
     come into contact with,'' Mitchell said.
       ``These children are our future, and they're helping to 
     shape them. It's the most important job in the world.''

                          ____________________