Annie Katz spent the last 22 years of her life as a seventh grade English teacher at Langston Hughes Middle School. She has decided to end her 32-year teaching career, which spanned three states and three local schools.
"I love my teaching. It’s a very noble profession," said Katz.
Prior to teaching at Langston Hughes, Katz spent two years at South Lakes High School, and one year before that at Herndon Middle School. She also taught in New York state and Michigan before moving to Fairfax County 25 years ago. Friends and family gathered at the Reston Sheraton on Saturday night to celebrate her career. "It’s been a lovely occasion," she said. Attendees partook in a night of dancing and open mike singing.
Katz said she would miss teaching. "How could you not miss it? It’s been over 30 years," she said. Her future plans include resting and living according to her own schedule for the first year of the retirement. She will also continue to do some tutoring. Long-term future plans include volunteering as a teacher for English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students. She said her mother was a French war bride, and that teaching others the English language would be her way of giving back to the society.
As she leaves the teaching profession, Katz hopes that more people consider teaching as their careers. "I hope that more kids go into teaching, it’s a profession that’s overlooked," she said.