Peters’ former students left longing for farewell

Emily Richmond

Monday, June 12, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.

Former students of Bridger Middle School math teacher Meredith Peters have been calling the Sun, complaining that they didn't get a chance to say goodbye before she retired after 36 years at the North Las Vegas campus.

If you're looking for Peters, you won't have to go much farther than McCarran International Airport, where she'll be working full time as a cashier for Hudson News, beginning this week.

Of the more than 8,000 teachers who responded to a recent survey, more than 40 percent said it was necessary for them to work a second job during the regular academic year.

Peters says she took on the extra job about five years ago, working part time on weekends during the school year and full time in the summers. After another five years she'll qualify for Medicare.

Teachers hired prior to 1989 did not have Medicare contributions deducted from their paychecks, and Peters said she's reluctant to rely solely on the Teacher's Health Trust to cover her future needs.

"You don't teach for the money," Peters said. "That's what I'd tell new teachers - if you don't love what you're doing, this is not the job for you."

Robert "Bobby" Jameson Jr., who retired as a master sergeant after more than 20 years in the Air Force, was honored Friday as the state's Troops to Teachers Teacher of the Year, and district officials say they're hoping to enlist dozens more just like him.

With more than 1,100 classroom vacancies to fill by August, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources George Ann Rice said the Troops to Teachers program has never been more valuable.

Under the Defense Department program, individuals who are within two years of leaving the military can use that time to complete the educational and licensing requirements necessary to become a classroom teacher.

Jameson, who is in his third year at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, was praised by his principal as "Always kind, polite and respectful. He called each child 'Sir' and 'Ma'am.' "

After accepting his plaque from Rice at Friday's ceremony at Manch Elementary School near Nellis Air Force Base, Jameson vowed to hang it "in the Bobby Jameson award room," drawing laughter from the audience.

Rice also signed contracts Friday for Air Force Capt. Dayton Rogalski, the chief information officer for the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis, and Tech. Sgt. Shanell Wingate, who is unit deployment manager for the Air Force's 99th Mission Support Squadron. Both Rogalski and Wingate will trade their military posts for classroom assignments at district schools in 2007.

Lt. Col. Thomas Kelly, commander of the 99th Squadron, said Troops to Teachers offers military personnel the opportunity to continue serving their country at a time when the military is downsizing.

"It's not that we don't want them, but because of the force reducing in size, we're going to have to lose a lot of fantastic people," Kelly said.

Retired Navy Capt. Will Fritchman went back to school courtesy of Troops to Teachers, graduating from UNLV's College of Education in 2002. He now teaches science at Rancho High School.

"My year ended yesterday, which is why I have a big smile on my face," Fritchman joked at Friday's ceremony. "And it's true, we do 12 months' work in nine, believe me."

With the bulk of the district's campuses on summer vacation, the Nevada Summer Food Service Program is preparing to step in and fill the nutritional gap.

This year children will receive a free breakfast and lunch at 35 sites in low-income areas throughout the summer. For more information and a list of open sites, go to www.ccsd.net/foodservice.

The food service department may also be reached at 799-8123.