Houston Woman, Mother of 6, Celebrates 54 Years as a Public School Teacher

Nationwide — Sharon Lemond, a 77-year-old woman from Houston, Texas, is being recognized for her over five decades of service as a teacher in the Houston Independent School District.

Lemond started her teaching career in January 1968 during integration. She first taught at Field Elementary School, an all-Caucasian school where she became one of the first Black teachers in the crossover program. She said things were not easy at that time.

“I would walk down the hallways and sometimes people wouldn’t even speak,” Sharon told KHOU. “I would say, ‘Good morning,’ and nobody would say anything.”

Over the years, she said a lot has improved with the collaborative relationships between colleagues, students, and their families.

Lemond went on to teach multiple subjects in almost every grade level at several schools, including Whittier Elementary School where she taught for more than 20 years.

“Some of the students I taught in elementary school, I taught their children, and, believe it or not, I’ve taught some of their grandchildren,” Lemond said.

Lemond, who is a mother of six, also earned a law degree. But she realized her passion is really teaching. She currently teaches skills for living and learning, or SLL, to special needs students at Navarro Middle School.

Moreover, Lemond is one of over 900 long-term employees who were recently honored in a special ceremony celebrating their milestone anniversaries.