Texas Tech University

close
Hide Contact Us

Please enter the information below and a representative from TTU K-12 will contact you shortly.

If the form fails to load, it can be viewed here.

TTUISD Senior Director of Academics Retires

Teacher, Educator, Mentor and Friend: Ethel Russell Leaves a Legacy for this District.

by Lucy Worley

December 21, 2016

Ethel Russell

Ethel Russell

Ethel Russell

Ethel Russell

There is a famous Chinese proverb that says, “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

Texas Tech University Independent School District has been lucky enough to have an educator who has exemplified this ideal for the past nine years. Ethel Russell, after almost a whole decade of service to TTUISD and many decades in the field of education, will be retiring this December, leaving a legacy on an institutional and individual level.

Ethel began her work with TTUISD in 2007 as a senior counselor, growing in influence and position through the years since. She retires as TTUISD's senior academic director.

Ethel knew early on that she wanted to make education her life's work. Originally from Gary, Indiana, Ethel attended Purdue University and received her bachelor's degree in education in 1980. After graduation, she started working in elementary education. Ethel was persuaded by a mentor to continue her own education and work towards a master's degree in counseling. After receiving that master's degree, she earned a second master's degree in school administration – both from Angelo State University. Following this, she worked as an elementary counselor and then as an elementary assistant principal.

In 2007, when Ethel's daughter started school at Texas Tech University, Ethel began looking for jobs in the Lubbock area. After applying to many positions, TTUISD chose Ethel and Ethel chose TTUISD.

“When I first started working with TTUISD, it was a culture shock. It was strange going from working in a brick-and-mortar school, where you have kids running up and down the hallways screaming everyday, to working for an online school. It was a pleasant change, though. Working with TTUISD allowed me to focus more on the components of education that I was passionate about,” said Ethel.

Her passion has been something appreciated by those she worked with. Dr. Jim Taliaferro, TTUISD superintendent, reflected on his time serving with Ethel. “Ethel's care for her students is paramount, as she has taken a personal interest in each of their educational endeavors. Her teachers also have felt the support of a strong, collaborative principal. Ms. Russell has, for this superintendent, exemplified a tremendous work ethic, and she is an excellent role model for us all.”

Jeff Oldham, TTUISD international principal added, “Ethel is an extremely diligent leader and is wonderfully gifted at managing many things at once. She is detail-oriented and a true educator at heart.”

This passion has not only helped Ethel to stay on top of the tasks her job already warranted, but drove her to pioneer new programs and improvements within TTUISD. Ethel began a GED program through TTUISD that was open to anyone in the West Texas area.

“Looking around, I saw a lack of resource for the many people who needed a GED, so I figured this kind of program would make a great extension service of TTUISD,” said Ethel.

To this day, well over a thousand individuals have been able to receive their GED through this program.

Of the many ways Ethel has served TTUISD, she says her favorite memories will always be the relationships she has formed with her students and their families. She loves that TTUISD exists to serve those in non-traditional circumstances. Whether it is a student who leaves public school due to bullying, students with a disability that require a more tailored education or students who are pursuing a career in the arts or athletics that requires them to travel. Ethel has gotten to play a part in many of these stories - something she finds deeply fulfilling.

Sam Oswald, executive director of TTUISD, has witnessed first-hand Ethel's involvement with her students over the past several years. “The first time I met Ethel, I remember being so impressed with her zeal and interest in each student she counseled. This is where Ethel's heart has always been – caring for each student and encouraging them toward success.”

Now at the end of her career, Ethel has made the job look easy with her many accomplishments remembered and celebrated. But Ethel will be the first to tell you it was not always easy.

When asked if she could leave only one piece of advice to her fellow educators, she replied, “Never give up. We do not always get to see the end or the big picture for a student. We wonder about them, wonder where they ended up or who they became. But once in awhile, you find out. You have a student who reaches out to you, and you find that something you may not even remember ended up changing their life. All of the investment does come back, we may not see it every time, but it always comes back.” 

Ethel's legacy is threaded into the stories of thousands of students' lives. Her steadfast and consistent spirit has championed not only the TTUISD community, but also each student individually. Her influence will be felt, and her presence dearly missed.