'She made people a priority': Educator credited with turning Houston's Furr High School around, dies

Bertie Simmons, known for making a difference at the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and having spent 17 years as the principal, died at the age of 87 on Nov. 19.

"She made people a priority. She would take time to talk to the parents, to the kids and she went way beyond what typical schools would do — whatever they needed," said Paula Fendley, Simmons' daughter.

Even when she rejoined the school after her retirement, an alleged gang member threw another through a glass window, signifying that the school was in a complete state of indiscipline.

Simmons later recounted, "I must be some kind of crazy old woman to be out here thinking I could make a difference in this school."

Simmons had started her career as an elementary teacher at HISD, and in about 10 years, she was declared the Teacher of the Year by the district. Her approach had always been student-centric.

"Her students were her top priority, and she poured her energy into making sure they succeeded," district officials said in a statement. "During her tenure as principal, she successfully turned Furr High School into a high-achieving school.

In 2000, Simmons took over as principal of Furr, which is located in the eastern part of the city. Previously one of the poorest performing campuses in the Houston Independent School District, Furr would achieve a graduate rate that exceeded 90% under Simmons' watch.

Despite transforming Furr for the better, Simmons in 2017 was removed by HISD in response to allegations of grade and record manipulation. She and two ex-employees of the school sued the district. A settlement was reached in 2018 in which Simmons resigned and was awarded $100,000.

Simmons released a memoir titled "Whispers of Hope: The Story of My Life" in late 2019.