In Mar. 29 issue, Russell County News
By Barbara Sharp Zimmerman, Columnist

Recently, I had a chance encounter with a teacher I hadn't seen since I graduated from high school more years ago than I care to admit.

Garmoline Carpenter still has that ramrod straight posture and trim figure (although I don't) I recognize from all those years ago and I remember what a really good teacher she was.

Thinking back, I realize I had quite a number of good teachers down through the years at Jamestown Grade School and Russell County High School.

As a matter of fact, I was blessed to have a plethora of outstanding teachers, such as Marie Walkup, Mamie Loy, Mary Stephenson and Mary Winfrey Phelps. I didn't get to have Kese Lawless in the fourth grade as so many of my friends did, but those who did loved her. I did have "Miss Kese" for a year in Sunday School and she was terrific there, too.

Alva Clayton was my fifth grade teacher and I still remember her firmly insisting that I learn all the states and capitols and be able to stand and recite them. I remember them - well, most of them - to this day.

When I got to high school, I had the great good fortune to be in classes taught by Jane Sullivan, June Miller, Myrtie Sullivan, Melvin Garner and the aforementioned Mrs. Carpenter. Bea Webb Allen was a memorable teacher, as was Frank Cook. I learned a great deal from all of them.

And there were others, more good ones than mediocre. You know what? They got me well prepared for college. You can say what you want about our school system way back then. I say the education was there for you to take if you wanted it.

I believe we owe teachers such as Garmoline Carpenter and the other good ones a huge debt of gratitude for what they gave us at a time when the pay for teaching was paltry. Sure, a teaching job beat no job at all, but many of these fine teachers could've gone somewhere else and made a great deal more money doing something else.

There's something wrong with a society that pays our athletes millions of dollars to play entertaining games and shortchanges our teachers who are building tomorrow's leaders and citizens. Wouldn't it be grand if the salary schedules were reversed, and we could pay our teachers the kind of money they really deserve?

This newspaper has been asking for people to suggest those whom could be called Russell County heroes. My suggestion would be all those good teachers who gave more than they got and helped countless children learn some useful things. Teachers such as Mrs. Carpenter.

They're real heroes.