Sharon Simpson

I'm not a resident of the West End, but I've been here for 40 years as a special ed teacher. I’ve never retired, but I’ve also never left the community. I’ve watched the children grow. I’ve seen them come back and talk about how there were wonderful times.

There was a young man who wandered into my room one day. He started talking to me and came almost every day of school. He got to know my students and tried to teach me technology—back then, we had all RadioShack computers. He would show me how to use his Sony laptop. He was at Bloom from that time until he graduated, and he always kept up with me. That young man is now the principal of Taft High School.

When I retired, I told him, ‘If you need help, call me.’ And he did. And I ran. He cares so much about this building. He understood. He taught my students how to work the computers. He believed, and I came to serve. I stayed every day. He said, ‘Maybe we can restore Taft to its glory days.’ I love Taft—because I’m needed. And I don’t know whether I’m needed or whether they need me, but I really think I need them more.

I was at Bloom for 26 years. When I first walked in, it was a zoo. I cried. I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ And that’s what I say to teachers—you’ve got to keep pushing. I decided I wouldn’t leave.

I could write a book and be a bestselling author. These were the best years of my life, and I didn’t expect that. It wasn’t always good. We had tragedies and everything. But I had 96% attendance. We just did everything, and we were allowed to do what we could. It wasn’t always that we had the money—we were just innovative.

I had a store called Bloomingdale’s, and the kids had to work there. I was Xeroxing fake money and thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to jail!’ I saw children who didn’t really have anything. Mothers who worked two part-time jobs. When I called, they would come running.

For the most part, I saw parents who really wanted their children to succeed. I saw kids who were so happy when they scored high on tests. It was like Dickens—it was the best of times and the worst of times. I used to always say that: this is Dickens. But I’ll say—the best of times were the best of times.