SPOKANE, Wash. — What began as an ordinary school assembly at Madison Elementary turned into a surprise celebration for special education teacher Stacey Higgins.
Students filed into the assembly hall, sitting down for what appeared to be a routine gathering. Meanwhile, Higgins’ family, friends, and former students gathered in another room, preparing to surprise her.
Higgins, who will retire on June 17 after more than four decades with Spokane Public Schools, was caught off guard when her daughters, Megan Higgins – a teacher at Regal Elementary – and Christina Wold, presented her with the first annual “Lou Lou” Award.
“She’s been teaching for 43 years. And today we honored her,” her daughters explained during the presentation.
The award is named after Higgins’ sister Laurel “Lou Lou” Davis, who inspired her lifelong dedication to special education. Lou Lou was present at the ceremony along with dozens of friends and family members who gathered to honor Higgins.
“I was raised with Lulu. She has special needs. And I had the most incredible parents. And mom and dad instilled in us the love of those who are more gifted than we are,” Higgins explained.
Her daughters described her teaching approach with three words: “patience, selflessness, and love.”
Throughout her career, Higgins has affectionately called her special needs students her “love bugs.”
“This is the best, most rewarding, hard, fulfilling job there is,” Higgins said. “Acceptance, unconditional love. Those two things can take you anywhere. And boy, that did take me on a fun ride.”
The newly established Lou Lou Award will continue Higgins’ legacy. The Higgins family has committed to gifting $500 to an outstanding Special Education Teacher in Spokane Public Schools every year through 2036 as a way of honoring Stacey’s life work in SPS. Stacey is the first recipient of the Spokane Public Schools Special Education Teacher of the Year “Lou Lou” award.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being here today to present our mom, Stacey Higgins, with the first annual Lulu Award,” her daughters said during the emotional ceremony.
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