NACOGDOCHES, Texas — An East Texas school district is mourning the loss of a high school teacher.
Jody Franks, a teacher at Nacogdoches High School and a former campus and district Teacher of the Year, died Wednesday from an extended illness, NISD said. Franks joined NISD in Aug. 2016 after spending four years at Center ISD.
Franks' spent nine months in the Republic of Georgia as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English to students in a rural mountain village, NISD said. She also served with AmeriCorps in Alaska as a secretary and paraprofessional.
“Ms. Franks was an outstanding teacher who worked so hard to connect with and influence her students,” said NISD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo. “She created an atmosphere in her classroom where students felt comfortable and safe and wanted to thrive, and she was a fierce advocate on their behalf.
Franks was a Stephen F. Austin State University graduate where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. She earned a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau.
A memorial service for Franks will be held at 3 p.m., on Oct. 26, at Austin Heights Baptist Church. Visitation will take place at 1:30 p.m. prior to the service.
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