After years of lesson plans and tests, teachers retire

After teaching Poway Unified School District middle school students for at least two dozen years, seven teachers decided to retire.

Five teachers shared reflections and memories made during their careers.

— Diana Alford, retiring after 24 years in PUSD, began as Meadowbrook’s Spanish and seventh-grade basic education teacher in 1969. She returned to PUSD in 1985, this time to Twin Peaks, to teach eighth-graders basic education, language arts and social studies. She was also technology and GATE coordinator and PRIDE reading leader.

After earning her bachelor’s from San Diego State University and studying at the University of Madrid, Alford earned a master’s from the University of California, San Diego and a secondary administrative credential from Chapman University.

She became a teacher “to make a difference in the lives of children. Teaching is a very creative profession. I love learning and teaching offered me a way to share my enthusiasm with children.”

Teaching exceeded her expectations. “I learned far more from my students than I ever taught them” and she found students to be entertaining and challenging. Alford also said today’s teachers are not treated with respect as before and parents often now blame them for students’ problems, instead of the children.

“My best memories involve watching students learn ... Many of my lifelong friends are colleagues.”

In retirement, Alford will volunteer, travel, camp, hike, ski and pursue writing and photography. “Where I will eventually wind-up depends on where my adventures take me,” she said.

— Terri Ferguson spent the last 19 of her 32 years with PUSD at Bernardo Heights, teaching sixth-grade language, math and science, coaching the computer and video club and serving as Fantasy Baseball adviser. She previously taught at Chaparral and Painted Rock elementaries.

She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a business education credential from San Diego State University.

Ferguson entered teaching because “My very wise father was an educator. Since he was a very important part of my life, I wanted to be just like him.

“Education has been (a) honorable and rewarding profession, which also has influenced my own two children ... to become teachers. I guess you might say ‘It is in the blood.’”

She said students accepted challenges posed by technological advancements, which meant teachers needed “continual education to remain current in today’s world.”

Her favorite memories include taking kindergartners on Halloween to a convalescent home when she was covered in balloons for her grape costume and 600 Bernardo Heights students playing Fantasy Baseball math game, while baseball dignitaries watched.

“During retirement I will be staying in San Diego where my mother resides and my children are raising their children,” she said. “I will also be revisiting the wonderful tourist attractions and events San Diego has to offer.”

— Kathleen Freres called her decision to retire from PUSD after 38 years “bitter sweet” and said “you might say PUSD and I have grown up together.” She taught sixth-graders at Bernardo Heights since 1991. Previously, she taught at Twin Peaks and Meadowbrook middle schools and Pomerado Elementary.

A native San Diegan, Freres earned her bachelor’s from her father’s alma mater, the University of Wisconsin. A graduate course in children’s literature led to her pursuing a teaching credential at San Diego State University.

Freres said she became friends with many early students’ families because they opted to have her teach them for three years, rather than one.

Her favorite memories include talent shows at Pomerado in the 1970s. “One very innovative and exciting act I remember was probably the very first air band performance.”

“Yes, education in the valley has definitely changed. ... Technology has added a new twist to things done in the classroom,” she said. “The common thread through the years, however, has been the creative and imaginative spark with which students tackle new challenges.

“Teaching for me has been pure joy,” Freres said, adding she will cherish a compliment recently sent by a former student, “Thank you for making a difference, for being different.”

— Mike Kapsimalis (“Coach Kap”) has been with PUSD for 38 years, his first four at Meadowbrook and last 34 at Twin Peaks, teaching physical education and coaching boys and girls basketball, including the 1985 eighth-grade team that had a 45-0 record. He coached JV basketball at Poway High and Mt. Carmel (1986-90).

He earned his bachelor’s at the University of Alabama, master’s at United States International University and teaching credential at San Diego State University. He was “Middle School Coach of the Year” in 1999.

Kapsimalis wanted to be a professional baseball player, “but I did not hit too good” so he pursued teaching and coaching. Because he “liked the game a lot more” and played basketball with teachers on Fridays after school, Kapsimalis decided to coach basketball instead of baseball.

He said his career “definitely ... was a lot of fun” and he enjoyed seeing students improve in athletics, education and character. However, he said “students don’t seem to work as hard as in years before” and “they were more respectful in generations (past).”

Kapsimalis’ favorite memory was in 1975, shortly after running in the Boston Marathon, when he was asked to light the sixth-grade Olympics’ flame. “It was pretty neat,” he said.

In retirement, Kapsimalis will stay in the area, play golf, be a golf marshal, officiate basketball and do substitute teaching.

— Steve Swanson spent his 33-year career with PUSD at Twin Peaks, first in special education and later as resource specialist teacher. Since the mid-1980s he taught eighth-grade basic education. When Twin Peaks adopted the “village concept,” he became history teacher for the Root’s Village. He was also Poway High’s ASB director in 1993.

Swanson earned his bachelor’s from Miami University and master’s from San Diego State University. He was named Twin Peaks’ “Teacher of the Year” for 2007-2008.

He held leadership positions in Poway Federation of Teachers and served in the United States Naval Reserve for 26 years.

“I was hooked on teaching by listening to my grandfather and my dad as I grew up,” Swanson said. “Both were educators and both served in the military. I followed in their footsteps.”

“It (has been) great working with so many outstanding kids ... I’m delighted I chose education as a career,” and technology “has enabled teachers to improve the quality of the subject content we deliver to students.”

“My wife and I are staying in the area. I plan to lower my golf handicap by playing twice a week. My wife and I will be traveling overseas. The biggest and most important event is our first grandchild arriving in November.”

Also retiring from PUSD are:

— Don Commons spent the last 18 of his 35-year career at Bernardo Heights, most recently teaching physical education. He also taught at Twin Peaks Middle School and Sunset Hills and Tierra Bonita elementaries.

Through the years, he coached girls softball at Poway High; girls tennis at Rancho Bernardo High; boys and girls basketball, tennis, football and volleyball at Bernardo Heights and was ASB adviser at Bernardo Heights.

— Shirley Mendanhall, who ended her 30-year career with the district teaching at Bernardo Heights.