Longtime teacher from Oak Ridge honored by state

During her long career, Jackie Ludwig taught generations of students.

Ludwig, originally from Brazeau, Missouri, began teaching grades one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse at age 19. The year was 1950.

In 1954, Ludwig got married and moved to Oak Ridge, where she’s been ever since.

Although Ludwig retired from teaching in 1990, she served on the Oak Ridge School Board from 1993 to 2008 before raising cattle with her husband, who died last year.

“And I had just about everybody who went through the Oak Ridge School District (during the years I taught),” she said on the way back from an awards presentation in Columbia, Missouri, on Monday afternoon.

Ludwig was among six educators from around the state recognized as 2016 Pioneers in Education during the 55th Cooperative Conference for School Administrators.

The annual conference is hosted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the award is given to people who have made significant contributions in their field.

When she was notified of the honor in June, Ludwig said, it was unexpected.

“I was very, very surprised,” she said, but gratified just the same.

All told, Ludwig taught seventh and eighth grades in the district for five years, fourth grade for 28 years and fifth grade for three years before serving her additional 15 years on the board.

Over the decades, she said the biggest change she saw in education was the relaxed dress code for teachers.

“I wore high heels probably the first 30 years that I taught,” she said, and couldn’t believe it when she first spotted other teachers wearing jeans to work.

Another thing Ludwig saw ease over time is discipline for misbehaving students.

“Every generation has become a little more relaxed,” she said. “Maybe a little too relaxed.”

In the beginning, however, just as teachers were expected to dress up for school, students were expected to be their best selves. Anything else simply wasn’t tolerated.

“When you went to school, you were expected to behave,” she said.

Seeing the disrespect many educators must deal with nowadays has saddened her.

Ludwig said she’s seen many of her former students grow into productive workers and excellent parents, however.

“I’m very proud of them,” she said.

Other honorees Monday included Shannon Ennis of Eminence, Rosa James of Kansas City, Chris Nicastro of St. Louis, Chris Straub of Jefferson City and Carter Ward of Columbia.

ljones@semissourian.com

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