(Photo from left: Whitney York, MISD assistant superintendent of Instruction, Director of Human Resources , Teresa Speed, MISD 17-Year Administrator, and Coy Samons, MISD superintendent.
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Murray, Ky., June 11------Coy Samons, Murray Independent School District superintendent, announced Teresa Speed, MISD Safe Schools Coordinator and Assistant Director of Pupil Personnel, would retire, June 30, after 23 years in education.
Speed was hired in 2001 with the Murray Independent School District, to replace former MISD teacher and coach, Jimmy Harrell, who was retiring. At the time, Speed, was working in the Calloway County High School’s Special Education Department, where she had taught for four and a half years.
In May 2002, Speed was hired as Murray High School’s principal. Speed said throughout her MISD career, people would ask what made MISD unique. “I always shared it was expectation of the teachers, staff, parents and community to provide the very best education possible, and push our students to the highest potential possible. It was the expectation, and students knew they were going to be pushed, and it wasn’t going to be easy,” she said. “Teachers and staff partnered with the students, to not only give their best, but to remove barriers from along the way. It was true teamwork. Even in the face of adversity, we understood, give your best, pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes, and keep pushing forward.”
Speed understands pushing forward. Her husband, Joe, urged her in 1993 to attend college. At the age of thirty-six, Speed enrolled in 18.5 hours at Murray State University, and dropped her 40-hour work-week, down to 32-hour a week workload as a lab- technician at Turner Dairy. The Speeds’ were parents to three teen-age girls playing basketball, a 13-year-old cross-country and soccer athlete, and a four-year-old young boy. Speed graduated in three and a half years, and began her first teaching job in Lyon County Schools 23.5 years ago.
Before going to work at Turner, Speed ran a furniture store, held her Kentucky auctioneer license, was a foster mom, and worked two factory jobs. Reared on a 52-acre farm, Speed and her family ran Grade-A Dairy, raised tobacco, crops, fed silage, and hauled hay. “I was blessed with two amazing parents James Miller (deceased), and Margaret Miller. My siblings, Jamie Miller, Kim Dublin, Michael Miller and Tim Miller, had the good life, and God truly blessed us.”
Speed’s youngest grandchild, Austin Wray, recently graduated from Murray High School, joining six of their MHS graduate grandchildren, while three great-grandchildren, currently enrolled, are on track to join the Speed Tiger alumnus family. “Joe and I are blessed with eighteen grandchildren, one due in the fall, and five great grandchildren. I cannot begin to share the joy from the amazing life at MISD or the memories. I have laughed, loved, hugged, cried and prayed over many people. I have grown, made mistakes and learned from others the value of a great education and the importance of relationships. I have lost students and friends, and am at a loss of words to explain how much this community means to me.”
Speed is retiring to Speed’s Blessed Pastures in Kirksey Ky. “We have been blessed with 21 acres and we love it. Our farm has miniature cattle, mini donkeys and horses, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, cats and dogs that we added to our Flemish giants and Continental rabbits. To say we are blessed is an understatement. To say I love the Murray Independent School District, and the community it embodies, is an understatement. I do not know what God has in store for me, but I am excited to see where it takes me.”
Mr. Samons stated,.” We appreciate the many contributions made by Mrs. Speed to the Murray Independent School District, and wish her much happiness in future endeavors.”