By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
Nancy Solomon has been teaching children in the Athens Independent School District for 30 years. And, for 30 years, she’s loved it.
“It’s a wonderful profession, just wonderful,” she said. “I like to see the light turn on (in their eyes). I get the most satisfaction from knowing a child has grasped something I’ve taught them. I just love to teach.”
Her experience and love of teaching make Solomon an excellent choice for a top leadership position within the Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA).
TCTA members from District 7 — a 17-county area in Northeast Texas — elected Solomon this spring. The leadership position is not her first. She held the position from 2005 to 2010 and again in the 2012-13 school year. As district director, Solomon will represent District 7 members this school year on the TCTA Directors’ Council, which sets policy for the statewide association. She will also assist the association’s local affiliate leaders in her district.
“I’m a part of TCTA because it is the best teacher organization in our state, and their support of Texas teachers is astounding,” said Solomon, who has been a member of the association for 27 years. She is also active on the local level, serving as president of the Athens Classroom Teachers Association and as the local affiliate’s membership chairperson.
Solomon has spent the entirety of her 30-year teaching career at Bel Air Elementary, where she primarily has worked with kindergartners. This year she will be teaching Pre-K students. “I love teaching, and I enjoy working with young children,” she said. “One of the things I love about early childhood is they are so eager to learn.”
Prior to teaching, Solomon spent six years working as the district’s own deputy tax assessor/collector, bringing her AISD tenure to 36 years.
TCTA is the leading teachers association in Texas. Founded in 1927, TCTA is a nonprofit, non-union, independent professional association based in Austin that serves 50,000 members statewide. It is the only statewide teachers association that limits active-level membership to those directly involved in classroom teaching or teaching support, including librarians, counselors and teacher aides.