By Robert Williams

Editor

Not seeing Ta Fett at Frazee-Vergas High School in a full-time capacity will be a new experience for many next year. After three decades of teaching, counseling and creating a championship dance program, Fett decided to retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year.  ¶  “I just started thinking about it last year; it’s just time,” Fett said. “Most of my peers that I started with—they retired when they were 58 and I’ve been an educator for 32 years. I’m ready to spend more time traveling, have more freedom and spend time with my grandkids.”  ¶  Fett plans to make a few cameo appearances when needed, at least during her first year of retirement.  ¶  “I’m going to substitute and do stuff at the dance studio,” she said. 

However, she has plenty of other pursuits to keep her busy, including working with her daughter Kiala at Next Level Dance Initiative and helping out in local theatre.

“I really enjoyed being the choreographer for the community theatre in Perham last year,” she said. “It was amazing. I loved it.”

Fett also directed school musicals during her time in Frazee.

Of Fett’s 32 years at the school, she spent the first decade in Special Education before moving to Counseling for the remaining 22 years. Fett was emboldened to make that change.

“I was highly encouraged by my administration; Marlys Jacobson was one of them,” said Fett. “I was an EBT teacher so I worked with kids with emotional, behavioral disorders. I was really good at it; I loved it, but I was just over the paperwork. I also knew I was going to take classes and move up the pay scale and it just felt like a waste of time to take classes and not get anywhere else.”

The move was the correct one.

“It was just the right fit and the right time,” she said.

In the middle of that time, Fett single-handedly created the Fly Girls dance program and was its head coach for 24 years until 2020.

Under Fett’s direction and big picture coaching style, the Fly Girls transformed from what began as a school activity into state tournament mainstays. The team recorded three state championships, two in jazz and one in high kick. Fett’s jazz teams were state finalists 11 times; high kick made the final cut six times.

The key to success was more on the organizational side of running dance and a willingness to utilize others in crafting a winning program when it came to assistant coaches. With the kids, it was simply about caring and motivating.

“If you can get kids to care and they have to know that you really care too, and that you’re invested and giving 110 percent,” Fett said in a 2020 interview. “If you can convince them of that you can go all the way.”

Fett is a Frazee native and graduate; she was also Miss Frazee in 1981, but she spent much of her childhood on the run growing up in a military family. Getting to return to Frazee as a teenager was a big moment.

“I moved back to Frazee as a ninth grader after attending six different schools due to my dad’s Navy service and the moment I arrived, I felt genuine care and connection from the amazing staff,” she said. “Teachers like Steve Carlson, Dave Goebel, Maggie Richie, and Hiedi Sapa made a lasting impact on me. They believed in me, encouraged me, and helped me see potential in myself when I was still figuring things out—even when I wasn’t always the best student.”

Discussing the positive effects of her teachers here and future mentors was a heavy and emotional moment of the interview.

“I was not heading in a great direction, but they cared about me, supported me and believed in me,” said Fett. “I went to college and dropped out, started a family and knew I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to be with these people who shaped me and cared about me. I wanted to be them and give back to some other kid that was struggling with what these people gave to me, which was unconditional, positive regard, direction and belief in me. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, she was such a hard-ass and I used to try to do everything to avoid her class, but when I was in the school musical I’ll never forget her coming up to me and telling me how proud she was of me. I will never forget that moment. I can even see where I was standing. I’ll never forget the moment Dave Goebel chewed my ass in front of the band room—something I needed at that time. Those teachers were the teachers that really influenced me to be here.”

Prior to making the retirement decision, Fett ran into Goebel at a funeral and he asked her about it. Goebel made a lasting remark.

“One of the best things is you don’t realize how much you worry about kids until you retire,” he told Fett. “It started making me think about it; how much I worry about kids,” said Fett. “It’s not that that’s a bad thing but I want to maybe focus a little bit more on my family and take that load off. I have loved what I have done but none of this I have done by myself.” 

Fett returned to Frazee a decade after graduating as a teacher. 

“I had the privilege of working alongside many of those same mentors, Carlson and Goebel, as well as other great mentors: Greg Ogard, Betty Bigger, Mary Olson, Marlys Jacobson, Parker Williams, and Dave Trautman. They were instrumental in shaping the educator I became.”

She continued to be part of a successful team upon transitioning to school counseling.

“I was especially grateful for the mentorship of Brad Laabs, who taught me the importance of empathy, non-judgment, and meeting students and families where they are,” she said. “He was an amazing school counselor. I also learned so much during my internship with Sara Pender, and was fortunate to work closely with counselors like Julie Carlson, Jamie Nelson, and Megan Galligan. My amazing office mates, Robyn Tappe and Kitt Kivi Lex are the best—always helpful and supportive. This past year, working alongside Marty Thorp and intern Paige Schaefer, was a great way to close out this chapter.”

Laabs’ mantra of “unconditional, positive regard” was a powerful reminder throughout Fett’s career that helped her in good and troubling times.

Fett ended her career with what her counseling group of Hailey Brower, Paige Schaefer and Marty Thorp called the Student Services “Dream Team” and the all-alumni foursome was featured in the September 10 Forum to start off the school year.

“It says something when people want to come back to the community that supported them and the school that had that influence on them,” said Fett. “It speaks very positively of the culture we have here at Frazee. Marty is going to do amazing things.”

Thorp has been hired and approved by the school board to become Fett’s replacement next year.

“Having a year by myself and being able to work part-time with Marty and having Paige as my intern—this was the best way to end,” Fett said. “What a fun year I’ve had with them. I’ve enjoyed working with them, being a mentor to them and their friendship. We’ve just had a blast. It’s a lot of work. Paige had a great experience here. She got to do everything and Marty too.”

Thorp worked part-time in Frazee and in Menahga this year. He and Schaefer both applied for Fett’s position. Schaefer ended up being hired by former Frazee Principal Rob Nudell at Norman County East-Ulen-Hitterdal.

Fett talks about her co-workers, past and present, as a family and she has stressed over the years how important building relationships is in education.

“That’s what will bring you joy,” she said. “The relationships you develop with these kids, their families, the community and your co-workers.”

Word had gotten around about Fett’s retirement and that started a new string of conversations with kids she helped in the past with thank yous and congratulations.

“I love the appreciation for what you’ve done; I don’t need that, but I’m surprised at how many people, co-workers, friends, community members have written me a note or said something in the grocery store,” she said. “You kind of feel like a little bit of a rock star. It’s been nice. I’m happy and I’m appreciative. I’m certainly going to miss it but I’m going to be able to sub and that will give me what I need to connect with kids, families and my co-workers,” said Fett. “I’m excited to do that.”