Garland ISD honors 85-year-old teacher for 26 years of service with perfect attendance
GARLAND, Texas - A Garland ISD teacher is being celebrated for her dedication and perfect attendance.
Family and staff at Naaman Forest High School surprised Sharon Bradley at an event on campus Monday afternoon.
Bradley just celebrated her 85th birthday and hasn’t missed a day of work in 26 years.
Sharon Bradley jokingly chastised some of her family and friends for taking time off from work in order to be at her surprise party. Bradley has a zest for life and says working keeps her mind young.
Bradley teaches health science at the school has not missed a day of work in her 26 years in the classroom. Even a bad fall over the weekend that required her to wear a cast couldn't keep her away.
“Coach Brown fussed at me because I broke my arm on Sunday evening and came to work Monday morning,” Bradley said. “But the trainers had to readjust the arm so I could teach my class.”
Bradley’s home was damaged in the October tornado outbreak. A year prior, she and her husband were displaced after a natural gas line explosion in her Northwest Dallas neighborhood prompted Atmos Energy to shut down gas to thousands.
Bradley never missed work even when her husband passed a few months later.
“She's 18 years older than me,” said her brother, Ray Rogers. “And I think her longevity is she likes to work.”
“It just shows a level of commitment to what we do here,” said Principal Keith Ellis. “It's a tough job educating students.”
Bradley is eager to mentor the next generation of educators. She isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
“I don't believe in retirement. I really don't. I get a lot of hassle from my relatives. My sons say it's time to retire,” Bradley said. “Texas Workforce will bring me to work when they take my driver's license away. See where there is a will, there is a way.”
Prior to becoming an educator, Bradley worked as a paramedic and flight nurse. She was working in the emergency room at Parkland Hospital the day President John F. Kennedy was rushed in after being fatally shot.