Libby School District honors persons of the year

This year, one wasn't going to be enough.

The Libby School District annually names a person of the year, but for the 2022-23 school year, they picked two.

Longtime educators Mary Miller and Jerry Mee were honored at a school board meeting last month.

Each year staff members are nominated through a survey within the Libby School District, Superintendent of Libby Public Schools Ron Goodman said. The nominated staff names are given to a designated committee to choose the Person of the Year.

“This year eight staff members were nominated and we broke with tradition by choosing two teachers to honor,” Goodman wrote in a recent email. “These two teachers were too hard to choose between!”

Miller and Mee are both from LIbby, graduated in the same year and they taught together in the Libby School District, Goodman said. Seeing eight staff members nominated across the school district was a delight, Goodman said. These nominated staff included maintenance staff, paraprofessionals and teaching staff. Nominees are judged on their character, honesty, loyalty and integrity, as well as their ability to get along with others, their willingness to serve beyond the call of duty and community service.

Mee has been a seventh grade science teacher for 39 years.

“I enjoy science because it’s all about the work and there are so many topics there. It’s exciting and as scientists we solve problems,” Mee said.

Before teaching in Libby for the past 33 years Mee was also a teacher in Box Elder, Montana, and in Colorado. Mee enjoyed athletics and so he spent a lot of time coaching, which helped him become involved in teaching, he said.

“Yeah, I’ve coached almost everything,” Mee said.

Mee said he has coached basketball, football, cross country and track and field.

“I teach middle school kids, mainly seventh graders, because I enjoy their energy and their enthusiasm,” he said. “If you get that energy going the right way a lot of things happen.”

Next year will be Mee’s last year of teaching and he’s ready to go on to the next endeavor in life.

“I enjoyed the heck out of it, and I’m gonna go one more year,” he said. “I appreciated working with the Libby School District over the years, and I’ve appreciated the kids in Libby. It’s just been a good run.”

Miller began her teaching career in Sidney, Montana, in 1984. She taught there until moving to Libby in 1992. In 1992, Miller was hired by Libby Public Schools to be a home-bound teacher. She then began classroom instruction in 1994 and has continued to teach in Libby to the present.

“My preferred teaching style is the “Facilitator Style,” as students are encouraged to be self-directed and reflective in their learning, but this style may change depending on the needs of the students,” Miller said.

Miller has taught third, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades over her career. She is currently an instructional coach for grades 4 to 6 at Libby Elementary School and is also the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for Libby Public Schools.

“Personally, I enjoy spending time with family and friends at our cabin at Upper Thompson Lake. My husband and I are also avid fans of the Zags and Grizzlies,” Miller said.

Miller said that one of the more fulfilling parts of teaching is when students gain confidence and knowledge. She also appreciates the lasting relationships with students, parents and coworkers.

“As a graduate of Libby Public Schools, I am honored to work with the students, parents, staff and community of Libby,” Miller said.