By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
Escambia County Schools systems said goodbye to one of its longtime employees Thursday.
Sara Davis had been a teacher and administrator for 33 years. She got her bachelor's degree at Livingston University and her master's degree at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. She then got another degree in administration and supervision at Montevallo.
Her first job out of college was teaching first grade at A. C. Moore Elementary. But before long she went to teach kindergarten in Talledega. The family stayed there for 13 years, and Davis won teacher of the year honors while she was there.
The whole time she taught in Escambia County, Davis worked with Betty Warren, who is now principal at Huxford Elementary.
"Her love for children is what makes Sara extraordinary," Warren said. It was apparent that many of her peers saw that and turned out for the retirement.
"Usually it is just office staff (that come to a retirement reception)," Warren said. "But we had people calling from all over, wanting to know about this one. And her church family is here as well."
That church is First Assembly of God in Atmore, where Davis' husband, Don, is pastor. There were others in attendance that had known Davis even longer than her husband or Warren had.
"I taught Sara in the sixth grade at Rachael Patterson," said Charlotte Doyle.
"I decided right away she was a politician and she has always been energetic and involved. She was always a leader," Doyle said.
Doyle believes the trait that makes Davis 'a politician' is the ability to know how to deal with all types of people and make them feel comfortable and feel that they have an important role in life.
Davis herself said that a lot has changed in education over her career. The biggest change?
"Parents' perception of school," she said. "There is not so much support for the teachers anymore."