House Resolution 95

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING MRS. ANN TUCKER FOR HER OUTSTANDING 62-YEAR TEACHING CAREER.

WHEREAS, Mrs. Ann Tucker, with her extraordinary teaching career that has spanned 62 years, is believed to be the longest-serving public school teacher in the State of Mississippi, and she is still making lesson plans, not retirement plans, which is a true testament to her love of teaching and dedication to her students; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker has taught at Northeast Jones High School in Laurel, Mississippi, since the school opened in August 1965, and some of her students who went on to have teaching careers are now long retired; and

WHEREAS, for over six decades, Mrs. Tucker has been in Building 1, Classroom 12, teaching English to students in Grades 9 through 12, and she was also the Beta Club sponsor for 20-plus years; and

WHEREAS, during her outstanding tenure, Mrs. Tucker taught a longtime United States Congresswoman, State Auditor Shad White, Kenny Payne, who starred for the Tigers' basketball team before leading Louisville to the NCAA championship in 1983, and going on to the NBA, HGTV star Erin Rasberry Napier, and countless other people who have served in leadership positions in the community or gone on to other successful endeavors; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker graduated from Glade High School and Jones County Junior College before getting her degree in elementary education from the University of Southern Mississippi, and after college, she first went to work at Ovett Elementary, where classes were so small that two grades were in one classroom, and that is where she developed a love for her profession, and then she taught at Myrick High School before joining Northeast Jones High School; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker comes from a long line of teachers, including her mother, Laura Annis Strickland Touchstone, who taught at Ellisville, Glade and Myrick, and she and her husband of 62 years, Mack, have two daughters who dabble in the family business as well: Amy Blue, who is a first-grade assistant at East Jones Elementary, and Phyllis Wagnon, who is retired from the staff development department at Ellisville State School, and now serves as a substitute teacher at Northeast Jones; and

WHEREAS, currently, Mrs. Tucker is teaching special classes on Mississippi writers and African-American writers, and she still grades for grammar, and she also teaches oral communication; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker lives by the short phrase written on the board in her room, "Attitude is Everything," and even after over 60 years in the teaching profession, she continues to prepare students for their future because she understands that education is the foundation for whatever her students might choose to do after high school; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker is content on the Myrick farm that has been in her family for seven generations, where she works in the yard and raises Australian shepherds, but she is not ready to be there full-time, as she has a high energy level and there are still students who need encouragement, guidance and the benefit of her wisdom; and

WHEREAS, when asked about the secret to her longevity, Mrs. Tucker believes that making a difference in someone's life is a daily opportunity, and that seeing a child succeed energizes her, and giving someone a chance at a better life is a gift, and God has truly blessed her; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Tucker and her husband are longtime members of Tuckers Crossing Baptist Church, where she served on the board of trustees for 15 years, and she served on the board of trustees for Jones County Junior College for 15 years, on the Human Rights Committee at Ellisville State School and as a member of the Jones County Cattlemen's Association; and

WHEREAS, with a teaching approach that is indeed timeless, Mrs. Tucker is an outstanding example of a teacher committed to her students and profession, and she has taught and influenced thousands of students in her career and served as a model mentor for many young educators; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend outstanding Mississippi teachers, especially those such as Mrs. Ann Tucker, whose dedication to her students brings great honor to Northeast Jones High School, her community, and the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize and commend Mrs. Ann Tucker for her outstanding 62-year teaching career, and extend to her best wishes for continued excellence in education.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mrs. Ann Tucker and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.