A Lauderdale County School District case manager and teacher decided for the new year, it is time to step away from working in the school system and begin working for herself.

After 36 ½ years of working with the LCSD, former Northeast High School teacher and special services case manager Kimbraly Dansby Freeman has retired.

Freeman, a California native, spent most of her life in Florida but relocated to Collinsville to be closer to family. Shortly after receiving her degree in special education from Mississippi State, she planted her roots in the LCSD and began teaching in September 1986.

Teaching wasn’t always the plan for Freeman as she initially thought she would be a counselor, but regardless of her direction, it was the values given by her parents that made her want to help others.

“From the beginning, my parents always taught me about helping others,” Freeman said. “I’ve always had the heart to help, and having a family member with learning disabilities inspired me to choose education and the field of special needs.”

Freeman said in her 29 years at Northeast High, the well-being of her students was always a top priority. She went above and beyond to ensure that her students were heard and respected.

After stepping away from teaching in 2015 to work directly for the district, Freeman said not much has changed as she believes students still need someone in their corner.

“Students just want to be cared about and know somebody’s got their back,” she said. “No matter what job I did, whether teaching or working at the district level, I wanted to ensure that students were supported because that’s what they need.”

“Kids might not act the same way as they did 30 years ago, but they still need their parents, teachers, coaches and other professionals to help. It takes a village, no matter if that was 37 years ago or if it’s now,” Freeman added.

While spending the last part of her career working for LCSD as a special services case manager and transition coordinator, Freeman decided to retire in Dec. 2022.

“I love the people that I work with, and I love my job, but you do get to a point where I feel I need to work for me,” Freeman said. “When you work this long, you earn that right to be your own boss, and I felt like it was time.”

As for plans for the future, Freeman does have projects in the works, but she is not doing anything at the moment but enjoying her days of retirement and offers key advice to the district and new teachers.

“I think it’s important to always remember that you’re there for the students,” Freeman said. “I would tell anybody in education to stay patient because it’s not easy nowadays. Just remember that the main objective is what’s best for the student, and they’ll be fine.”