Jim and Ann Murphy

Special education teachers are special. It's right there in the job title. And those individuals who assist special education teachers through their workdays are also special. Ann Murphy was one of those people.

Years ago the Special Education program in St. Tammany Parish was looking into ways to better meet the individual challenges of the special needs children within the St. Tammany Public School System. Ann Murphy knew that was where she wanted to be.  She went to school for special education classes and took the test and received her certificate as a Certified Para Educator.  

She felt she could make a difference and knew where she was needed.  She chose to work with children with behavior problems.  Ann did make a difference working with her students at Mandeville, Covington, and Pontchartrain Elementary.  She later took sign language classes.   Since she used her hands to express herself, she wanted to see if she could help the hearing impaired students; and she did.  

Ms. Murphy really enjoyed teaching and noted that she should have been a teacher from the start.  She saw herself as a problem solver, a listener for the children, patient and encouraging.  She liked to set a good example and gave advice, especially from past experiences.  She always loved being around children; she needed them, and they needed her. 

They moved to St.Tammany in 1992, while Ann was working in the accounting department of Ochsner Hospital on Jefferson Hwy. Two years later, Ann became a certified para-educator and got a job with the School System. She and her husband are retired now. To read about who they are, where they came from, and what their days are like nowadays, click on this link which will take you over to the retired teachers website. 

  Jim and Ann Murphy