Voice: September 2017

Desiree Seese and Barbara Taliaferro laid eyes on each other, and their eyes lit up.

It was the first day of the Partners for Public Education School at the Gettysburg Summer Leadership Conference and Seese, now a teacher herself, immediately recognized “Miss T,’’ her middle school home economics teacher 28 years ago in the Coatesville Area School District, Chester County.

“Miss T is a teacher you never forget,’’ Seese said. “As soon as I saw her, I texted my sister, ‘Miss T is here!’’’

Amazingly, given all the students she has had in a 30-year teaching career, Taliaferro immediately recognized Seese as well.

“I can even remember the classroom – 200F, third floor, tiny room,’’ Taliaferro said. “I taught food on one side of the room and sewing on the other.’’

They both chuckled that while Taliaferro was then called a “home economics’’ teacher, she is now a food, finance, and housing design teacher under the Family and Consumer Science curriculum.

As for her memory of Seese and many of her students, Taliaferro said, “I have a real passion for teaching so I want to make an impact on my students. Hopefully, it pays off. Look at her; she’s teaching now.’’

Seese isn’t the only one; Taliaferro said she has former students who now teach in the same building as she does.

A 15-year teaching veteran who now teaches first grade in the West Chester Area School District, also in Chester County, Seese credits Taliaferro for inspiring her to become a teacher.

“The reason I do what I do today is because of Miss T and all the teachers I had at Coatesville,’’ she said. “I am what I am today because of them.’’

You might say these two exemplify Partners in Public Education.

For more information on Partners, visit www.partnersforpubliced.org.