Pinal Today

This year, the Casa Grande Elementary School District will lose some longtime members of its staff to retirement. The school district held a ceremony to recognize the careers and efforts of the departing staff.

“Each of you that are being honored tonight have helped transform the lives of many young people. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Everybody here celebrates you,” superintendent JoEtta Gonzales said, Pinal Central reported.

Also chiming in with words of recognition and appreciation was Principal of Palo Verde Joanne Kramer, about Cynthia Escobar.

“For the past 20 years, Cynthia has offered children in the Casa Grande school district the hope for a better education and life. She is an unsung hero who inspires her students every day by example,” Joanne said.

One of the retirees, Leslie Kramer, said she doesn't know what she will do in her retirement, but she's excited.

“This was such a great district to work for. I appreciate everything. It’s one thing to be a teacher, but to be a teacher in your hometown — I grew up here, that was special,” another retiree, Cholla Teacher Vicki Sutera, said.

Leslie said every day of her career she has been thrilled to do her job.

“It’s so rewarding, I can’t wait to get in and get started. It’s so wonderful to live in this community and have these children that we taught for years and years come up to me and say ‘Remember, you taught me how to read this, Mrs. Kramer?’" she said.