District's longest serving campus retiree dedicated 44 years to helping students with special needs

Katherine Wooldridge has accumulated a lifetime of memories over her 44 years of teaching and working in schools.

As the longest serving Dallas ISD campus-based team member to retire this summer, Wooldridge has dedicated her life to working with students with special needs. Before spending the past 20 years at Skyline High School, she worked at Spruce High School, served on the base staff that launched Multiple Careers Magnet, and worked at the district level supporting students with special needs.

“This has been an amazing experience,” Wooldridge said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that every single kid wants you to take the time to listen to them. To see so many kids with special needs reach their potential and succeed has been a blessing.”

https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2019/05/21/2019-retirees-include-many-with-30-plus-years-of-service/

When Wooldridge first came to Dallas ISD from the Beaumont School District in the ‘70s, she was overwhelmed by the enormous size of the district. Now, four decades later, she has helped numerous students find a career path and enter the working world.

After she takes some time to rest, she hopes to continue her service by substitute teaching at Multiple Careers Magnet.

“You get so attached to the students,” Wooldridge said. “I’ve had students come back to see me after they have kids and tell me how I taught them to work and encouraged them to read. It’s an amazing feeling. “