Dorothy Balum still teaching in Reardan after 50 years

REARDAN--After 31 years of teaching, Dorothy Balum retired in 1998, only to return here as a substitute teacher for the next 22 years (and counting.)

Balum, age 80, has spent most of her life in education. She attended a two-room school for eight years before moving on to Cheney High School. After graduating, she attended Eastern Washington State College, earning degrees in English and psychology. She then completed master's programs at Eastern and Gonzaga.

In 1964, the Waterville School District hired Balum at an annual salary of $4,800. She stayed there four years before accepting a job in Reardan.

"When I started teaching, there was a strict dress code," Balum said. "Teachers were required to wear dresses and nylons that had seams."

"One time right before Christmas I wore a pantsuit," she added. "Superintendent Joe Johnson called me into the office and said, 'I'm glad you wore that outfit today because that means you won't have to wear it after the new year.'"

During her tenure she taught English, civics, psychology and was the advisor for the school newspaper and yearbook.

"I wanted the kids to learn," Balum said. "But more important than that, I wanted them to feel accepted and not judged."

In her early years of teaching, public schools allowed corporal punishment to discipline unruly students.

"I didn't believe in it," she said.

After retiring in 1999, Balum took one year off before returning to the school as a substitute teacher.

"Some of my old teacher friends thought I was an idiot for subbing," Balum said.

She doesn't see it that way.

"I substitute here because the kids are great," she said. "The few who aren't have a story. Once you learn their background, you understand why. I'm also impressed by the quality teachers who work here."

Marty DeWalt has worked with Balum for many years.

"Dorothy is one of the first teachers I met when I started here 25 years ago," DeWalt said. "She was here 30 years before that. She knows who you are but also wants to know how you are. She is a stellar teacher who wants the best for her students."

Balum has witnessed many changes in education over the years.

"Kids can't sneak obscene gestures into the yearbook anymore because, unlike film, digital images can be reviewed on the spot," she quipped.

"Education is much more interactive, and grading is less rigid," she said. "In the past, administrators were much stricter than they are today. There was a barrier between them and the students."

Besides substituting, Balum has devoted thousands of hours to Spokane's needy by working with the Christmas Bureau and the Volunteers of America. She is an active volunteer with Crosswalk, an organization that provides meals and shelter to homeless teens and has taught at Martin Hall Juvenile Facility.

"I have had a very blessed life," Balum said. "I owe it to society to help others. All of us have benefited from the kindness of others, so we must do the same."

Balum lived in Reardan for only two of the 53 years she taught there. The rest of the time she commuted from Spokane.

"Even though Dorothy lives in Spokane, she is an important part of our community," Mayor Gail Daniels said. "The town loves her. She's probably attended every wedding, graduation and funeral for the past 50 years."

Balum does not know how much longer she will teach but is grateful for the relationships she has developed and is thankful for the kind notes she receives from former students.

"When I quit teaching, I hope my students can say they learned something from me," she said. "I benefited from the kindness of my teachers and I hope they remember me as being kind and caring too."