Dollarway’s Humphrey-Gulley honored as Pine Bluff School District teacher of the year

Virginia Humphrey-Gulley of Dollarway High School is embraced by her mother, Florentine Humphrey, after she is announced as the Pine Bluff School District Teacher of the Year. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
Virginia Humphrey-Gulley of Dollarway High School is embraced by her mother, Florentine Humphrey, after she is announced as the Pine Bluff School District Teacher of the Year. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)


In two short years since annexation, Dollarway High School has produced as many Pine Bluff School District Teachers of the Year.

Career and technical education instructor Virginia Humphrey-Gulley won the district's top teaching award Tuesday night at a banquet honoring all of the PBSD's campus Teachers of the Year at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. Humphrey-Gulley succeeded Elouise Shorter, a mathematics instructor, giving Dollarway High back-to-back winners of the honor before it merges with Pine Bluff High School officially on July 1, the two-year anniversary of the Dollarway School District's annexation into the PBSD.

"Don't ever count us out," said Humphrey-Gulley, a Pine Bluff High School alumna. "We've always been there. We've always done our very, very best for our students. Having Ms. Shorter down the hall from me, she's kind of mentored me a little bit. I've watched the things she does and the way she carries herself. It's just been a blessing to be a Cardinal."

Shorter went on to become a semifinalist for Arkansas Teacher of the Year last August.

Humphrey-Gulley, a 24-year teaching veteran, was sitting with family, fellow church members and Dollarway Principal Michael Anthony when she was announced in a short countdown video. Surprised, Humphrey-Gulley hugged her mother, former Dollarway Junior High teacher Florentine Humphrey, as she collected her emotions.

Interestingly enough, education was not Humphrey-Gulley's first choice when she graduated high school.

"She wanted to go into the Army, and I did not want her to go into the armed services," Florentine Humphrey said. "So, I slipped by and made her go to college. I told her, go to college first and then go into the services."

By her mother's account, Humphrey-Gulley earned a degree in fashion and merchandising and worked as a substitute teacher for two years before being licensed in grades 1-6.

The road to certification in career and technical education was not easy, either.

Monica McMurray, the PBSD coordinator of retention and recruitment, described after the video how she helped Humphrey-Gulley earn an extra year to achieve that because she was not properly advised of the time limit she had.

"It was about five years ago, and my mentor-teacher, Vickie Hicks, was getting to retire the next year," said Humphrey-Gulley, nicknamed "NeCe." "She encouraged me and said, 'NeCe, you can do it. So, come on. We're finna' do this.' I started the journey, things happened, and the journey kind of fell off."

Finishing the journey, however, is a testament to her character, Anthony noted.

"She was already certified [and] could have been complacent in what she was doing," he said. "And what she was doing was an extraordinary job in the world of career and technical education. Ms. Barbara Boyce, PBSD executive director of special services, saw a need for her to service our kids in special education. Ms. Gulley rose to that. It couldn't have been an easy task, but she persevered, and it just speaks to her character, all while still being everything to every student at Dollarway. And [she] has proudly done it for years."

Special services hold a special place in Humphrey-Gulley's heart. Her son, William Jamal Gulley, now 26, is autistic and nonverbal.

"Having walked that journey as a parent and now walking it as a teacher, that's why it holds a special place," she said.

The district award is named after Mary Frances Perkins, an education veteran of more than 50 years who was an English teacher at Southeast Middle School until her passing. In addition to her crystal trophies as campus and district Teacher of the Year, Humphrey-Gulley also received a $1,000 check from PBSD Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree.

Other campus Teachers of the Year were honored at the banquet:

Pearlie Wells, Forrest Park/Greenville Pre-Kindergarten;

Carmen Williams, Robert F. Morehead Middle School;

Carmen Bell, James Matthews Elementary School;

Ciera Rancifer, Southwood Elementary School;

Rachel Scott, Jack Robey Junior High School;

Larissa Davis, Pine Bluff High School;

Crystal Swiney, 34th Avenue Elementary School and

Darnesia Carter, Broadmoor Elementary School.

  photo  Pine Bluff School District Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree presents the Mary Frances Perkins Teacher of the Year award to Virginia Humphrey-Gulley of Dollarway High School. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
 
 
  photo  Dollarway High School career and technical education teacher Virginia Humphrey-Gulley is congratulated by her mother, Florentine Humphrey, after being announced as the Pine Bluff School District Teacher of the Year on Tuesday at the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
 
 


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