Retired elementary school teacher and principal Elizabeth Curtis of Alabama has been named a 2024 inductee into the University of Alabama Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: University of Alabama

Many exceptional educators have made the teaching profession their life’s work. Elizabeth Curtis, an elementary school teacher from Alabama, is one of these. For her dedication, she has just named as a 2024 inductee into the University of Alabama Hall of Fame.

In a career career that spanned more than 50 years, Elizabeth has taught multiple age levels, including preschool, elementary school, and community college. She inaugurated her career a an educator when she accepted a position as a first-grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Tuscaloosa. She also taught for a short time in Phenix City, Alabama, and in New Orleans. But in 1986, she returned to where her heart lay, in Tuscaloosa City Schools. She worked for a time as a second-grade teacher at Verner Elementary, but by 1990, she was the school’s Assistant Principal. Two years later, she was promoted to the position of  Principal. Under her leadership, Verner Elementary became the highest-performing school within the Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) system and the state. As a result, Elizabeth was recognized as the PTA Principal of the Year.

In 1998, the governor of Alabama selected Elizabeth’s school as one of several pilot schools for a new program called the Alabama Reading Initiative. The pilot program proved so successful that it was expanded gradually throughout the state. Today, the program is still ranked as the No. 1 reading program in the nation.

After serving 28 years at Verner Elementary, Elizabeth retired in 2019. But did she stop working to improve education? No! She went on to become the Director of the TCS Future Leaders Instructional Academy. Today, she continues to serve as a substitute for Tuscaloosa City principals, and she conducts exit interviews for TCS Human Resources. In 2021, Verner Elementary named its library in honor of the accomplished educator, recognizing her legacy as a teacher, a principal, and a beloved instructional leader.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama in 1970. She earned her Master’s degree from the same institution. She has also been inducted into both Kappa Delta Pi International Honorary and Kappa Delta Epsilon.

To read more about Elizabeth Curtis, click on this link to the University of Alabama.