Forty years ago, Pam Waller took a job as a bus driver at Portsmouth City Schools that would give her the time to spend with her family. Throughout the decades she experienced many different jobs within the district, and now she plans to retire to once more spend more time with her family.
Waller began her career with Portsmouth City Schools as a bus driver in 1983.
“My daughter was 2 years old when I started working here and I had a son who was six, and I didn’t want them to spend all summer in daycare. Then after they got older, I thought, ‘OK, now I can move on’,” Waller said.
She took a new job in the classroom to work as an aide, where she worked with teacher Milinda Davis.
“She was a big inspiration for me. She convinced me to go back to college, so I did that and I took business and accounting classes. I knew at some point, even as a bus driver, that I wanted to move up to get better pay, and I was looking at the options that Portsmouth City School offered,” Waller said.
“With hard work, committment, and a good attitude anyone can move up the ladder.”
With her qualifications, she was able to get a job within the district as a secretary at Roosevelt Elementary School, and she moved to the front desk at the new building when the elementary schools were combined. She later accepted a job as the curriculum coordinator secretary in the central office for two years before finally accepting a job in the treasurer’s office in 2008.
“It’s a great place to work and good people to work for. I have a lot of memories,” she said.
In April 2023 she announced her retirement, just as her career began, to allow her more time to spend with her family.
“While juggling the responsibilities of working full-time and caring for a family member, it was getting hard to do both. I needed more time to help family. My family is the most important thing,” Waller said.
Acting Superintendent Josh Morris expressed his thanks to Waller for her decades of service to the school district.
“Pam was always known as a hard worker and she would always do anything she had to do to work hard and take care of her family. She came in as a sub and continued to learn everything she could to move up in the district and continue to give back. For 40 years we’ve been excited to have Pam and we are not at all excited to see her leave, but we understand that family comes first and we have to take care of our families,” said Acting Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent Josh Morris.
Waller will remain working for a few months to help train her replacement.
For more information about Portsmouth City Schools, visit them online at www.portsmouthtrojans.net, or follow the school’s page on Facebook.