Retiring Simpson ES Teacher Honored

After nearly four decades in the classrom, Kathy Russo, retired from at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

But before she closed the door to her classroom one last time, she was honored by Gwinnett County Public Schools for her work in coaching gifted education students for an annual competition called the "Georgia Future Problem Solving Program."

Russo, who taught Gifted Advanced Content Mathematics and Intervention at the Peachtree Corners school, lead the students to a first place finish in the state competition this year.

Her teaching career began 38 years ago, 22 of those years have been with GCPS. Russo was part of the inaugural staff at Simpson when it opened in 1993. She joined GCPS in 1990 as a special needs and gifted education teacher at before transferring to Simpson.

The Georgia Future Problem Solving Program is designed to engage students in critical thinking and creative problem solving and is part of the Future Problem Solving Program International. Founded by creativity pioneer, Dr. E. Paul Torrance, professor emeritus at the University of Georgia, FPSPI was created to improve "critical and creative thinking skills and encourages students to develop a vision for the future."

Are you a former student or parent of a child who was taught by Kathy Russo or attended this year's Future Problem Solving Program where the school took first place? Tell us in comments below.