Smartt bestowed teacher award
Longtime county teacher and guidance counselor Sue D. Smartt was honored as the 2002 Retired Teacher of the Year by the Warren County Retired Teacher’s Association Monday afternoon at the Civic Center.
“There are far more people here who deserve this more than I do, but I do appreciate it,” said Smartt, who appeared genuinely surprised by the honor.
A life-long resident of McMinnville and Warren County, she first became familiar with the local school system as a student, attending McMinnville City Grammar School and Central High School. Her college years took her to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where she earned her bachelor’s degree and Tennessee Tech were she earned her master’s.
Her 29-year career in education began in 1960 at Central High School where she taught junior English for five years. She then taught freshman English at City High School for four years. When consolidation came in 1969, she taught special education reading for one year at William Biles Elementary.
She began the guidance counseling portion of her career in 1970 at Warren County Junior High as the school’s freshman counselor. The next year she moved to the senior high to become the junior class counselor, a position she held until she retired from the school system in 1989. For the next three years she taught psychology and speech part-time at Motlow State Community College.
In addition to her school duties Smartt has also been active in the community. She has served as a past member of the Westwood Church of Christ Kindergarten Board, as well as a Sunday school teacher there. She has also served as president of the McMinnville Jaycettes, president of the McMinnville Art Association, vice-president of the McMinnville City Teacher’s Association and secretary and president of the Warren County Retired Teacher’s Association, among other endeavors.