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\u201cThe group brings together retired educators for advocacy, socializing, and community outreach,\u201d Nelius said. \u201cAn educator never stops helping children \u2014 it just takes on a different form as you move into the season of retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nelius retired from guidance counseling at Tullahoma City Schools in December 2024 and immediately joined the CCRTA. She followed in the footsteps of other family members who were members before her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy grandmother and mother were members, and I wanted to stay connected and plugged in to what was happening in local education,\u201d Nelius said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her grandmother, Rebecca Thompson, taught second grade at East Lincoln for 29 years, and her mother, Sarah Johnson, taught at Jack T. Farrar for 23 years. Nelius herself worked in Bedford County and Tullahoma City Schools for 25 years. She currently holds the position of vice president for the CCRTA. As an officer, she helps plan the quarterly meetings and also attends state-level TRTA meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy true passion is seeing students become good, productive, well-rounded adults \u2014 academically, emotionally, and socially,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Helping students achieve these goals is a core tenet of the group itself. The CCRTA awards two scholarships annually to graduating seniors entering the field of education as a way to support future teachers in the area. The awards go to one recipient from Coffee County High School and one from Tullahoma High School, chosen by a scholarship committee of CCRTA members. Those who win the scholarships get invited to the June CCRTA meeting as special guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt our June meeting, the scholarship winners are invited to attend to share their education plans with the group,\u201d Nelius said. \u201cWe do try to stay in touch with the recipients, and enjoy hearing about their educational journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scholarships are just one way the group gives generously to students. They also work to provide books for children. At the CCRTA September and March meetings, they donate children\u2019s books to Court Appointed Special Advocates, Tullahoma Day Care, Manchester Head Start, Shepherd\u2019s House, and the Coffee County Children\u2019s Advocacy Center, ensuring even the youngest learners have access to literacy. At their March 2026 meeting, they donated more than 100 books to children in the area. At the September 2026 meeting, they collected preschool books for the pre-K and Little Cats programs in Tullahoma as they prepared to relocate to the old Jack T. Farrar Elementary building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGiving children\u2019s books to these organizations is our way of promoting education for the young when they may be in need,\u201d Nelius said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Members also volunteer annually to ring bells for the Salvation Army at Christmas, which assists local children and families in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TRTA supports current and retired educators as well. Through TRTA, CCRTA members and other local chapters can stay informed about pension updates through the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. They can also access the National Education Association-Retired and Tennessee Education Association benefits at the state level. These are important services, though Nelius says the heart of CCRTA\u2019s mission is to consistently support educators and their students. Retired teachers offer a unique understanding that allows them to pass on wisdom to those in the trenches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter leaving the classroom, it is important to stay connected with public education because we have all been there and understand what today\u2019s educators are up against,\u201d she said. \u201cIn today\u2019s world, where more people are leaving the profession than ever before, we are here to advocate for good educators and support them in any way we can.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sharon Nelius remembers the kindergartners who would wander into her elementary guidance office for the first time, looking small and nervous but full of potential. Each little face represented the reason behind her passion for her profession. It was always bittersweet to spot those same faces heading out the fifth grade door for the last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":25618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[6,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-tullahoma"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/10\/3-4-1024x683.jpg\")
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