‘Ms. Peggy’, whose real name is Peggy Tonnema, has been a familiar and beloved face at Washington Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington’s North End for the past 29 years.
At 68 years old, Ms. Peggy is more than just a crossing guard. Every day, she brings joy to children and parents with her energy and bright outfits, even dressing up as Wonder Woman on some days.
However, starting in the 2025-2026 school year, ‘Ms. Peggy’ will no longer be doing this job. Her position is among the 114 paraeducator positions that the Tacoma School District has decided to cut to cope with a budget deficit of $30 million.
The school district says the reason is due to rising operating costs and insufficient funding from the state.
Although she only works as a crossing guard for about an hour and a half each day (she also does some other work, such as assisting the school nurse), her presence is very important. She knows the names of many students and parents, reminds them of traffic laws, and brings a cheerful atmosphere.
Many of the drivers passing by are former students whom she has seen grow up.
The school district offered her to reapply for hourly work, but Ms. Peggy declined to show solidarity with the other 113 colleagues who also lost their jobs. “This is not right,” she said, “I could stay, but I can’t do that. It makes me sad.”
‘Ms. Peggy’ says she feels heartbroken to have to give up this job. She chose to wear a Wonder Woman costume on the day the news was released (May 8) because she wanted to “stand for truth, justice, and the American way of life.”
“Our country is based on our children. They’re going to grow up. We have to educate them. We have to teach them right. And to do that, we need staff,” she said. “Paraeducators are the front line, making sure the kids get the extra care they need – and a lot of them need it.”
She recalled when her son attended this school in 1996, each kindergarten class had a full-time paraeducator. Over the decades of participating in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), she has witnessed many staff cuts, from nurses, librarians to music and art teachers.
“We keep getting outraged and then we shut up. That’s over. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t. They have to let the city, the mayor, the entire educational system know,” she emphasized. “It’s time to speak up and make noise. That’s what I’m going to do.”
The local community sees her as “a pillar”. Back in February, when her car was stolen, the community donated more than $10,000 through GoFundMe to help her buy a new car. She has also received many traffic safety awards and thousands of photos and cards from loving families.
A parent named Annie Lindgren commented: “She is a pillar in the community. It will be very different without her.” Another parent, Will Brown, said that she is “not just a crossing guard”, she always tries to help children. Mr. Brown also expressed his disappointment with the education budget cuts, saying that this is the most obvious investment for the future.
The news was published by The (Tacoma) News Tribune and disseminated through The Seattle Times.
