Betty D. Covington retired from Kilby Elementary School in 1995 after 19 years as its principal. From 1996-1997, she shared her experience with all of Prince William County as the Dumfries District member of this School Board.

In 1997 she returned to the School Division as Principal of Dumfries Elementary School, where she remained until her second retirement in 2003.

From 1974-1976, Mrs. Covington served as principal of the Saunders Kindergarten Center, the first public kindergarten in Prince William County. Earlier, she spent three years as assistant principal of Dale City Elementary School, as it served as a pilot school for implementation of year-round school. She was a classroom teacher for 11 years, nine of which she spent at Dumfries Elementary School. Her three children are all graduates of Prince William County Public Schools.

Mrs. Covington has been a mentor and guide to many during her years in the School Division, including several who have gone on to become administrators in their own right. Diana Aikens, one of her protégés, was the 2005-06 Prince William County Principal of the Year, an award Mrs. Covington was nominated for in 1991.

In 2003, Mrs. Covington received the Educator of the Year Award from the Boys and Girls Club. In the future, the award will be named and presented annually as the Betty Covington Educator of the Year Award. She received the Star Award for Endless Dedication to Youth from the Boys and Girls Club in 2001. Mrs. Covington has also been recognized by Reading is Fundamental and named the Distinguished Woman of the Year at various times by the Soroptimist Club, the Zontas Club, and the Commission for Women. Mrs. Covington received her Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University and an Master of Arts from the University of Virginia. She has 44 years experience as an educator in Prince William County