Teacher leaves message on blackboard, disappears

Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, January 27, 2011


(01-26) 17:44 PST SAN RAFAEL -- Police have launched a nationwide search for a popular San Rafael schoolteacher who disappeared after leaving a mysterious message on her classroom chalkboard.

Terra Linda High School students showed up for their English class last Thursday to find teacher Debra Schmitt's desk empty and the words "Thank you everyone" written on the blackboard, officials said. Schmitt's school keys were in the classroom.

"She just never showed up, so the assistant principal called us about 9:45 a.m.," said San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher. "We pretty quickly figured out that she'd last been seen the day before in Ross, where she lives."

That sighting of Schmitt, 53, came at an elementary school, she said. Investigators found Schmitt's car, identification and purse at her home.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/26/BAT41HELO3.DTL

Hope she's ok....

Wonder what this is all about.

missing. Evidently she lives with him. I wonder just how long was she gone. The school reported it? Strange.

I would suspect that she probably is not OK.

I hope she's alright.

Her picture gives the sense that she's the type of teacher who makes an impact especially with certain students. The one who years later will remember her as being instrumental in changing their life.