It was what every parent would want a school to be.
Children were welcomed with the sound of classical music, courtesy of a boom box tuned to Public Radio.
Tucked away in a closet were clothes for students who needed them.
Classrooms were abuzz with parents.
And when they left their precious little ones, they knew they would be loved and nurtured.
There was an intangible energy surging through the halls.
At the helm, the good shepherd of this utopia of education, was a quiet yet dynamic force otherwise known as Alma Turner.
Turner has spent more than 40 years of her life in education, as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, school board member and director of the regional Head Start program. In Columbus, she probably is most fondly remembered for her time as principal of Demonstration School.
Dem School now is a cherished memory and an empty building.
But during Turner’s time there, children were the priority. Their success in school and in life was her mission.
Even after her career took her away from the schools and the classroom, she stayed true to her first love, joining the Columbus school board in 2004.
And though she focused her efforts on teaching the children on a deeper level than reading, writing and ‘rithmetic, her efforts shined on student test scores and in those students’ later success.
Turner resigned from the school board, effective the first of this month, for health reasons. Her voice on the board will be missed.
In a time when teachers seem to be pressured to teach to the tests, Turner’s example is one worth following. She began and ended each of her days as an educator, not with benchmarks and assessments, but with heart.
Thank you, Mrs. Turner.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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