Standing near the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemeter, the Netherlands Carillon has one of the best views in the area, overlooking the Potomac River towards Washington, D.C..

Theresa Early

Meet Theresa—Theresa's portrait

Retiring to the Scouting Life

“Working with children and youth is still my passion.”

From the classroom to the campfire, Theresa Early, continues to inspire and educate. After 34 years with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), she’s now spending retirement as the wellness supervisor of the Sky High Ranch Girl Scout camp in Woodland Park, Colorado—a role she likens to being a “guidance counselor in the mountains.” She’s also presented on mental health strategies at an American Camp Association conference and mentors young girls year-round as part of a local troop.

Her afterschool job at a daycare and summers spent as a Girl Scout camp counselor further cemented her passion for working with children. As a military kid, she moved frequently but spent much of her youth in Fairfax County. An alumna of Ravensworth Elementary School (ES), Poe Middle School, and Annandale High School, starting her career at FCPS was a natural fit.

She began as an instructional assistant and soon found her passion in special education—teaching at North Springfield Elementary’s Comprehensive Services Site (CSS), which supported students with social-emotional and behavioral needs.

Early on, she earned her master’s degree in school psychology, an experience that deepened her understanding of her students’ emotional and behavioral needs. Over the course of her career, she taught at CSSs at Brookfield ES (19 years) and Laurel Ridge ES (15 years).

I was always drawn to teaching—Theresa
Award plaque with a gold handbell, excellence medallion, and engraved text honoring Theresa Early as 2016–2017 Teacher of the Year for K–5.

Theresa combined her love of history, civics, and nature to create real-world learning experiences. Lessons came alive through field trips to Jamestown, Shenandoah National Park, Great Falls, and the Kennedy Center.

In 2017, her innovative teaching methods earned her national recognition as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Elementary Teacher of the Year. She was also honored by the Fairfax Optimist Club and was a runner-up in the 2018 Mount Vernon Estate’s education awards.

Seeing students find success was always a highlight. In particular, she remembers one third grader who was having difficulty learning to read. Whenever the class took turns reading math problems aloud, they would instinctively skip over him.

But one day, he surprised everyone. When his turn came, he began to read. A hush fell over the room. After he finished, he looked up wide-eyed and exclaimed, “I read the whole thing!” The class erupted in cheers, giving him high fives and pats on the back. Theresa couldn’t help but tear up as they celebrated his hard-won accomplishment. To this day, she keeps in touch with him and many of her former students and their families.

When Theresa retired in 2019, she welcomed a new chapter but wasn’t quite ready to leave education behind. She transitioned to homebound tutoring, mentoring teachers through FCPS’s Colleague Assistance Program (CAP), and being a student teacher and coteaching modeling liaison at George Mason University. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she organized creative outdoor lessons and daily lunch-hour story times for children in her townhouse community, providing a lifeline for kids and parents alike.

Therea teaching lessons on a lawn in her neighborhood during Covid
Collage of Theresa's photos—at camps

I always wanted to return to the mountains.

Theresa Early

Having a second pension from ERFC has provided a much-appreciated cushion, giving Theresa peace of mind and the freedom to explore a host of different opportunities in retirement, including the move to Colorado in 2021. “I always wanted to return to the mountains,” she said. And her ERFC pension helped cover moving expenses.

She recommends educating yourself on your pension early, including meeting with a tax professional to understand all the tax implications in retirement.

Whether she’s planning an adventure to Hawaii, leading scouts through mountain trails, expanding her skills through a CampWell training course, or seeking a publisher for her children’s book, Theresa’s retirement is filled with purpose and passion. In every pursuit, she embodies the Girl Scout Law to “make the world a better place.”