After a long career as a teacher and coach, Rickey Moore came back for more — this time as a substitute.
Moore has worked for Ector County ISD as a full-time teacher and coach and substitute for 50 years.
He started in 1972 at Crockett Junior High, now Crockett Middle School, staying for 32 years. Those 30-plus years included 26 years of coaching. Previously, he taught in El Paso for two years.
Moore is retired, but has been substituting since 2004.
A 1965 Permian High School graduate, Moore went to Sul Ross State University where he earned a degree in history, government and special education.
Most of his teaching was in special education and was head of the department at Crockett. He coached middle school athletics from 1976 to 2002.
“There’s lots of educators in my family,” Moore said.
He and his wife, Shirley, have two daughters, both of whom are teachers. They also have three grandchildren. One daughter lives in Frisco and the other in Odessa.
He spent a lot of time working, including a job at CR Anthony’s department store from 1976-2000.
Moore is based at Odessa High School most of the time. Shirley was a bookkeeper at the campus and has also been a special education aide.
OHS Principal Anthony Garcia has known Moore for 10 years.
“He is always dedicated to helping the campus and helps out wherever he is needed. Coach volunteers his time at sporting events and enjoys working with students,” Garcia said in a text message.
What made him decide to sub after all those years of teaching?
“That’s all I know is teaching, pretty much,” Moore said.
“It helps pay the bills and I like the kids. I’ve always been around teachers, so I like the camaraderie,” he added.
After earning his degree, Moore decided to go into special education. By the luck of the draw, he got sent to Crockett and stayed 32 years. He coached all sports — football, basketball, track and cross country.
Moore said he loved it at Crockett and they had great administrators.
“I coached some great kids …,” Moore said.
Since he’s been in education so long, he observed that things move so much faster in terms of technology and curriculum speed.
At the same time, it’s taken a while to recover from COVID and not being in school. Moore said the impact has been social and academic.
Things are getting back to where they were socially.
“… They haven’t come back to good study habits and that’s what my granddaughter says. I have a granddaughter that is a sophomore at Reedy High School in Frisco. They were doing a project the other day and they were working on something she told … I just don’t have the study skills to do it. … I see it personally. She’s a good kid, but it’s taken her a while to recover,” Moore said.
He added that he has another granddaughter at the University of Houston that’s doing really well.
“… All my grandkids do well,” Moore said.
He added that he’ll teach as long as he’s healthy and the district has treated him well.
“… I’ve always had really good administrators, teachers and coworkers … It’s all been pretty good. We’ve all gotten a lot together most of time pretty good and helped each other you know,” Moore said.
He added that he has enjoyed his 52 years of education and made lots of friends.
“I’ve seen lots of kids come through and turn out really good even some kids that were in some of my resource classes. They turned out really good. They just needed a little extra help …,” Moore said.
