‘We are all devastated.’ Manatee school district mourns passing of longtime educator

Shirin Gibson, a longtime educator and leader in the School District of Manatee County, has died at the age of 47.

The district announced her passing on Tuesday afternoon, paying respect to the woman who dedicated more than 20 years of her life to local schools. The announcement did not specify the cause of Gibson’s death.

“We are all devastated by this loss and our hearts and prayers are with Shirin’s husband, Billy Gibson, her family and all who knew and loved her,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said in a prepared statement.

Gibson, the executive director of curriculum and professional learning, joined the school district in 1996 as a teacher’s aide. She started at Daughtrey Elementary School and spent the next 24 years learning and climbing the district ranks.

According to the district announcement, Gibson worked as:

• A teacher from 1997 to 2007.
• A 21st Century Community Learning site coordinator from 2005 to 2006.
• An assistant principal at Daughtrey from 2007 to 2008.
• An assistant principal at Tillman Elementary from 2008 to 2010.
• The principal at Tillman, Sea Breeze and Gullett elementary schools from 2010 to 2017.
• The director of assessment, accountability and research from 2017 to 2019.
• The executive director of curriculum and professional learning from 2019 to 2020.

To honor Gibson’s life and her passion for learning, the superintendent is now working with the Manatee Education Foundation to raise money for a paraprofessional scholarship.

Interested donors can send a check to the Manatee Education Foundation, 1023 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 215 in Bradenton, with attention to the “Dr. Shirin Gibson Paraprofessional Scholarship Fund.”

According to Tuesday’s announcement, donations can also be made on the foundation’s website, mefinfo.org.

“Shirin was a consummate professional whose joyful demeanor and passion for education brightened the lives of countless students, parents, co-workers and friends,” Saunders said. “We all grieve her loss and will strive to live up to her legacy of impeccable standards and kindness.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 3:36 PM.