Retiring Elementary Teacher MaryLynn Pearlman, Woman of 'Tact, Wit, Insight'

The goal in our ongoing series on the many Retiring Teachers/Principals of the TUFSD was to get them to share their parting thoughts in their words, but it seems some of them really are too busy -- or in the case of elementary teacher MaryLynn Pearlman, "not good at tooting my own horn anyway."

So we hand this one over to the parents.

Here's a touching letter that was passed along to Patch from Todd Dorman and Bev Lavy, parents of Will and Danny, who both had the benefit of a Pearlman education. She's taught for 43 years; they enjoyed her for two:

Dear MaryLynn,

Over our two years with you, you have come to know our two wonderful, highly energetic boys. And we have come to know you.

We have come to know your gift for seeing the whole child, and your gift for understanding how each child fits into the larger community. Best of all, we have seen how you teach from a full acceptance of who each child is, and a devout belief in where they can go.

We have received your wise counsel, and been repeatedly grateful for your tact, your wit, and your insight. We have been grateful to see how children love you, because they can sense with their own wisdom that you truly have their best interests at heart, and the best interests of their friends at heart.

We have been blessed to have Danny in your class and to have Will in your class. We are blessed to know you.

When we think of what you have done for each of our boys—giving them a rock solid foundation for learning and for entering the world creatively, with passion and determination—and we take that number and multiply it by your average class size…Then take that number and multiply it by 43…

What you get is a person who has changed the world.

Thank you.

Love,

Todd Dorman & Bev Lacy