We are deeply grateful for the countless contributions of these outstanding administrators, teachers, and support staff. Their dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to student success will be deeply missed. We wish them all the best in their well-deserved retirement and look forward to the exciting new chapters that await them.
Tammy Albaugh has served Marion Independent as a payroll and benefit specialist for nearly twenty-six school years, starting in January of 2000. Tammy plans to travel as often as possible and spend time with her grandchildren. She has cherished her time working for Marion Independent School District, with a special highlight being the opportunity to watch her children grow up and graduate from the same district. She will miss seeing staff and co-workers on a regular basis.
Michele Aschbrenner has served the Marion Independent School District for twenty-four years at Vernon Middle School. Michele has taught in a variety of subjects at Vernon Middle School since starting in 2001. Michele is planning to volunteer for Iowa Humane Alliance and another local rescue.
Marie Henderson has served as a special education teacher at Francis Marion Intermediate school since 2021. We appreciate Marie choosing Marion Independent for her last four years in education! In her retirement she plans to enjoy her grandchildren and spend time at the lake with her husband.
Kim Knapp has served Marion Independent for the last thirty-one years as a classroom teacher at Francis Marion and a 5th grade literacy teacher at Vernon Middle School. In her retirement Kim plans to spend much time with the family and grandkids. She will also have more time for gardening, crafting, and enjoying the simple life.
Mike Murphy has dedicated twenty-six years to the Marion Independent School District, serving as Principal at Emerson Elementary for six years and Francis Marion Intermediate for the past twenty years. While at Emerson, he also took on the role of Transportation Director for several years. A proud Marion parent, Mike’s children, Maggie and Preston, both graduated from Marion, and he has volunteered for the football and girls’ basketball teams. His favorite part of the job has always been working with students—and, of course, recess! As Mike steps into retirement, Mike plans to take a well-deserved year off to travel and spend time with his grandchildren in Georgia and Nevada before exploring new opportunities.
Charlotte Osterhaus has been keeping Marion Independent clean for the last fourteen years. Charlotte has served a variety of schools in the district in a variety of custodial roles. Charlotte will be retiring as the Head Custodian at Marion High School. Thank you for your dedication, Charlotte!
Pete Peterson served the Marion Independent School District for twenty-four years as a dedicated school bus driver. Thank you, Pete, for all the years of service in keeping our students safe on the roads!
Lori Rogers has served at both the Marion Home School Assistance Program and most recently at Francis Marion Intermediate as a third grade teacher for a total of twenty-seven years of service to Marion Independent. While Lori is grateful for her time at MISD, she is excited to spend her retirement years enjoying her upcoming promotion to Grandma.
Gerri Schlotfeldt has served Marion Independent for twenty years. Gerri has been the principal’s secretary at Starry Elementary and was able to spend a year at the new Parkview Elementary in the same role. Gerri has enjoyed her years at Starry & Parkview and has seen a lot of changes during those years. She will miss her work family and seeing the students transition from Preschool to second graders.
Terri Schmidt has served the Marion Independent School District for twenty-six years. All of Terri’s teaching has been at Starry Elementary and Parkview Elementary. Terri has been a math and reading improvement teacher for the last twenty years and previously was a 2nd grade teacher at Starry Elementary for six years. Before coming to Marion Independent, Terri taught at Iowa Valley in Marengo for twelve years. Upon retirement, Terri plans to travel and spend time with her family.
Marcy Shie’s first four years of teaching were in West Branch, Iowa. When Marcy began her twenty-nine year career teaching in Marion she was a special education teacher at Vernon Middle School. Next, she taught 3rd grade at Emerson Elementary School and has been a Learning Specialist at Emerson Elementary and Longfellow Elementary. Marcy is grateful for the excellent educators, students, and families at Marion Independent .
Jeri Thompson will be retiring with twenty-seven years of experience as an associate at both Vernon Middle School and Francis Marion Intermediate School. Jeri’s retirement plans include traveling and visiting kids and grandkids across the United States.
Ann Wicke has served the Marion School District for thirty-three years. She is currently the ELL (English Language Learner) Coordinator and K-12 ELL Teacher. Ann previously taught 4th grade at FMI and Vernon for twenty-two years. Before that, she was a 1st grade teacher at Starry Elementary for four years. Ann will always cherish her time in the district with her students and families. According to Ann, those relationships are absolutely the heart of her longevity as a teacher. Future plans include more time to hang out with her family and friends, walking her doggie, travel, continuing to work/stay busy in some capacity, and hopefully ditching her alarm!
We extend our sincere gratitude to these remarkable educators who have collectively contributed an astounding 311 years of service. Your dedication to the field of education has been exemplary, and your influence will be felt for years to come. We acknowledge your significant contributions and wish you all a peaceful and fulfilling retirement!