Education
Education

By the numbers: Gwinnett County Schools retirees

May 28, 2015 - Johnsie Cooper gets a hug from Principal Toni Ferguson on a visit to the school after her retirement. Johnsie Cooper, a second grade teacher at Knight Elementary School in Gwinnett County, retired after 50 years of teaching. AJC FILE PHOTO

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

May 28, 2015 - Johnsie Cooper gets a hug from Principal Toni Ferguson on a visit to the school after her retirement. Johnsie Cooper, a second grade teacher at Knight Elementary School in Gwinnett County, retired after 50 years of teaching. AJC FILE PHOTO
By
May 31, 2017

Gwinnett County school officials waved goodbye to hundreds of teachers who retired at the end of this school year.

Here are some interesting numbers about the school district’s retirees:

562 - the number of teachers, administrators and support staff who retired.

13,518 - how many years the retirees spent in education.

22 - how many retirees spent 40 or more years in education.

48 - the number of years paraprofessional Judy L. Williams spent in the profession, more than any Gwinnett retiree.

5 - the number of principals who retired this school year.

Gwinnett had a luncheon Tuesday to celebrate its retirees. Atlanta’s school system is scheduled to have a luncheon Wednesday for its retirees.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

Follow Eric Stirgus on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The DeKalb County Board of Education gave Norman Sauce III a one-year contract to serve as its interim superintendent. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Sauce gets salary bump, 1-year contract to be DeKalb interim superintendent

The contract, obtained via an open records request, doesn't mean Sauce will be the permanent superintendent of the DeKalb County School District.

47m ago

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

The gift honors the oldest child of Randall and Peggy Rollins, who died in 1970.

Some Decatur parents feel blindsided by school plans, few details

Aggravation brews over lack of specifics and what some see as poor communication.

The Latest

The DeKalb County Board of Education gave Norman Sauce III a one-year contract to serve as its interim superintendent. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Sauce gets salary bump, 1-year contract to be DeKalb interim superintendent

47m ago

Lovett School gets ‘historic’ $30 million gift from Rollins family

Full circle: Sisters who were APS students now serve as APS principals

Featured

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones scores another victory over use of campaign cash

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appears to have scored another victory over Attorney General Chris Carr as the Republican gubernatorial candidates battle over campaign finance issues.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.’s season is over; needs surgery to repair ACL

Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons hoped was their quarterback of the future, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in his left knee.

Typewriter Tom fuels a growing interest in analog writing devices

Roswell's Tom Rehkopf owns about 1,000 typewriters, which he tinkers with at his workshop and happily shares with fellow aficionados, curious youngsters and even Tom Hanks.