History
Destined
to educate, Mary
Jane Sims was born on
February 26, 1874, right
outside Austin,
in the
city of Round Rock. She
started teaching at 16
years of age. It
was clear that she would be a great educator.
Bastrop County school for
black children was the school that
launched her career. Eventually
she taught all over Texas, from
Galveston to Temple
to Prairie View State Normal School. Everywhere
she went
she was known for improving
kids' reading skills. She was
recognized for her great efforts
and was chosen to be the first black
supervisor of primary reading for elementary
schools. Mrs. Sims
wrote books for children as well as popular music. Here
in Austin, she
organized a preschool nursery at Greater Mount Zion Baptist
Church. It was the first nursery school for
Black children
in this city. She died in 1950, but
she helped out so many
children, especially in the East Side of Austin.
In 1956 the community
of East Austin suggested that our school be named
after this great
educator and author... Mary Jane Sims.
