Teacher Support Specialist; former Assistant Superintendent; Servant Leader; Devoted wife, mother & educator; Lifelong learner;
East Texas
Joined February 2012
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Mitzi Neely retweeted
Every teacher has the power to change a student's life. Never underestimate the impact you can make.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at RobinsonHigh School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said.
'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year for the State of Arkansas in 2006. She is the daughter of a WWII POW.
Do you think this email is worth passing along so others won't forget either, that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by our U.S. Veterans?... I did.
Let us always remember the men and women of our military and the rights they have won for us.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Turn the volume up.
Stand for the nation.
Sing every word.
For the 250th time…
Happy Birthday America. 🇺🇸
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Did your mom teach you any of these gems…
My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why."
My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about PATIENCE. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."
My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"
My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Dear parents,
Your child does not need to be the smartest in the class, the best on the field, or the most talented in the room.
But they do need to be teachable.
We are raising a generation that can Google anything, yet too many are forgetting how to listen, how to respect, and how to learn.
Being teachable is not about grades or intelligence. It is about humility.
It is about knowing you do not have all the answers.
It is about being open when someone is trying to help you grow.
Our job is not to raise kids who always get it right.
It is to raise kids who can take feedback without shutting down.
Who can admit when they are wrong.
Who can disagree without being disrespectful.
Who can be corrected without becoming defensive.
Because in the long run, teachability will take them further than talent alone.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
130 schools said no.
He led the losingest program in college football history to a national championship anyway.
Fernando Mendoza was a 2-star recruit from Miami.
He tried to walk on at his hometown school. They passed.
So did FIU.
So did FAU.
So did everyone else.
At 17, he was sitting in his bedroom, crying over a silent recruiting inbox—after driving to 18 camps with his dad and sending highlights to more than 100 programs.
Not one FBS offer.
His only option? Yale. No scholarship. No NFL path.
Everyone told him to be “realistic.”
“Know your place.”
“Be grateful.”
He didn’t listen.
Because Mendoza understood something most people miss:
The worst outcome isn’t failing.
It’s never getting the chance to try.
Two weeks before signing day in 2022, his phone rang.
Cal needed a body. One offer. Out of 134 schools.
He took it.
He arrived as the third-string quarterback.
Spent a year on the scout team.
Lost his first four starts.
Got sacked 41 times behind a broken offensive line.
Still got up. Every time.
Then Cal brought in a transfer instead of building around him.
So Mendoza left the only school that had ever said yes.
He transferred to Indiana—the losingest program in college football history.
People laughed.
“Career suicide.”
“Graveyard program.”
“Nobody wins there.”
One coach told him something different:
“I’m going to make you the best Fernando Mendoza possible.”
That was enough.
Mendoza wasn’t just playing for football.
His mother has battled multiple sclerosis for 18 years.
Before every snap, he thought of her.
“My mother is my why.”
Indiana went 16–0.
Beat six Top-10 teams.
Won their first Big Ten title since 1945.
Mendoza threw 41 touchdowns.
Won the Heisman—first in school history.
First Cuban-American to ever do it.
Then came the title game.
Miami. Near his hometown.
Fourth-and-4. Season on the line.
Quarterback draw.
The kid 134 schools rejected spun through defenders and dove into the end zone.
Game over.
Indiana—national champions.
The losingest program became the best team in America.
All because a 17-year-old refused to believe “no” was the end.
Rankings don’t decide your ceiling.
Gatekeepers don’t write your ending.
Being overlooked isn’t a verdict—it’s a starting point.
Sometimes all you need is one shot…
and the courage to bet on yourself when nobody else will.
Don’t quit.
Credit: Barclay Mullins
Mitzi Neely retweeted
25 years ago, on New Year’s Day, I stood at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with fear in my heart and uncertainty in my life…
Two weeks earlier, I had been fired from a dot-com company.
Two weeks of severance.
No insurance for my two young kids.
At the same time, my wife and I had invested everything we had, even a second mortgage and $20,000 on a credit card, to open what would become the first Moe’s Southwest Grill in Florida.
The restaurant was opening in 12 days.
And now…
I had no job.
No salary.
And no idea how we’d pay the mortgage.
As I looked at the icy water, I realized something.
Fear was everywhere.
But fear didn’t have to win.
So I jumped in.
Not because I wasn’t afraid…
but because I decided this would be the year of NO FEAR.
I chose to trust. I chose to be bold in action and faith. I chose to act like my future depended on me…and pray like it depended on God.
That jump became a declaration.
No longer would fear cut off the flow of positive energy. No longer would it paralyze me. Instead of fear, I would choose trust.
Now, 25 years later, I’m jumping in again on New Year’s Day.
It’s my ritual.
A reminder to follow my passion.
To live fully.
To surrender.
To stay one step ahead of the fear that hovers around.
And today, I want to invite you to jump in with me.
Not into the ocean but into your mind. This leap doesn’t require water. It requires faith.
No one will push you into the life you want. God will nudge you but you must take the leap.
Not a leap of fear.
A leap of faith.
You will always feel fear. Everyone does.
But when your trust grows bigger, your fear becomes smaller.
And when you trust, you become a conduit for miracles.
I’ve seen it firsthand.
Opportunities appeared.
Checks arrived.
Doors opened.
My family was carried.
And one leap led to another…
which led me to writing, speaking, and doing the work I love today.
If 2025 wasn’t your year, that’s okay.
The New Year is a fresh start.
A new opportunity.
A new choice.
Jump in.
Trust bigger than your fear.
And take the next step toward who you’re meant to become.
I’m wishing you an amazing 2026. I’m sending positive energy your way.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
2026 does not need more resolutions. It needs no more excuses.
This starts with the small things. The everyday commitments that seem insignificant but are not. Showing up when you said you would. Being on time instead of explaining why you were late. Following through even when no one is watching.
Traffic is bad. The morning is hectic. The day gets away from you. And because the excuse sounds reasonable, you feel okay about it. Nothing feels lost in that moment. It feels harmless. Understandable.
That is how excuses work.
They train us, quietly, to lower the standard we hold for ourselves. Not all at once. Slowly. One small justification at a time.
And once that habit is in place, it does not stay small.
We do the same thing with our bigger goals. Writing the book. Going for the promotion. Getting the degree. Starting the business. We wait for things to settle down. We tell ourselves we need more time or confidence.
Before long, our excuses start defining what we think we are capable of. Not our talent. Not our ability. The excuse.
This year is about stopping that pattern. About noticing the excuses we have normalized and choosing differently.
Start with the small things. They decide the big ones.
No more excuses.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Ever walked away from a conversation wishing you had responded differently? Reacting vs. Responding makes all the difference. Learn how biblical wisdom can help you communicate with grace instead of emotion. drmichellebengtson.com/react… via @DrMBengtson
Mitzi Neely retweeted
•Be FAITHFUL when you feel fearful.
•Be POSITIVE when you want to be negative.
•Be THANKFUL when you feel entitled.
•Be LOVING when you want to fight.
•Be GENEROUS when you want to be selfish.
•Be MINDFUL when you want to hurry.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Failure is not meant to define you. It's meant to refine you. The key is to get back up and keep going. Learn from it. Grow from it. Become better because of it.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Enjoy the 1st day of your summer @RichardsonISD ! Our central team is busy getting ready for summer school and ensuring we are ready for 23-24! Have a terrific Tuesday! ❤️💚💙💜#risdbelieves
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Congratulations @m_salazarzamora! I’m sure proud of your professional accomplishments, but more grateful to call you a friend. Keep charging!
🎉 EXCITING NEWS ... and so deserving!
Congratulations to our Superintendent of Schools Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora (@m_salazarzamora) for being named the 2023 @Region4ESC Superintendent of the Year! #DestinationExcellence
Read all about this honor: tomballisd.net/about-tisd/de…
Outstanding leader and educator! Congratulations.❤️
Biggest of congratulations to our superintendent of the year, @m_salazarzamora!!! I couldn’t tell how proud I am and I want to thank you for everything especially spreading joy across the district. Tomball ISD wouldn’t be present without you and you are the reason I call it home.
Mitzi Neely retweeted
@GregAbbott_TX This is wrong at every level!! In fact, it is dereliction of duty and obligation!! 5.5 million students and every educator in the state deserve so much better!!
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Texans oppose any form of vouchers, also called education savings accounts, that use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schools and vendors. Now is the time to tell your legislator to PAY TEACHERS, NOT PRIVATE SCHOOLS. p2a.co/BEoSP2B #TxEd #vOUCHersHurt #TxLege
Mitzi Neely retweeted
Public schools are the heart of Texas communities across TX. Public dollars must remain in public schools. Tell your legislators to PAY TEACHERS, NOT PRIVATE SCHOOLS: p2a.co/BEoSP2B #TxEd #TxLege #vOUCHersHurt