I just completed a survey on behalf of the American Association of School Administrators that was all about how we use social media at school. Social media, as this survey was designed, appears to be such things as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Newspapers, local TV news and local radio are considered traditional media.
Recently I started writing again, primarily to try my hand at blogging. So every time I make a blog entry I send it on to The Journal and it gets used in both “traditional media” and “social media”. I’ve been a superintendent since 1987 and I’ve frequently written regular columns for local papers wherever I lived.
I like to write and try to both inform and entertain in my stories, but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure who reads papers anymore. I’m equally not sure who reads blogs, especially my blog.
I’ve been a newspaper reader since way back when I had a rural paper route after school that consisted of 18 papers on a 3 mile route. I made 2 ½ cents per paper and on Sundays I had maybe 25 papers over a five mile route. This generated around $12 a month that kept me in pop and peanuts. I also sold the Grit. Anyone out there remember the Grit?
I read both of the Delaware dailies each morning by 6:30a.m. and The Journal each week. That’s where I get most of my Delaware news. I can unscientifically confirm that I don’t think more than 20% of the people in my neighborhood get a newspaper subscription at home.
So, where do they get local news? Local TV? You won’t see any news of Felton, Harrington or Frederica on local TV unless there is a major crime involved. I do not regularly watch local news on TV.
Apparently, in some communities, bloggers are beginning to have a significant impact on community attitudes toward schools. In those communities, people fire up their computers and go to certain blogs to find out the latest, bypassing the traditional media. So, apparently I'm supposed to be kissing up to bloggers and providing them with information so they can be accurate in what they say.
I know there are some community forums available on websites, especially those affiliated with newspapers. If something scandalous happens I’m sure it might be commented on in the public forum, but I am unaware of anyone else blogging on local education issues on a regular basis.
I guess it’s just a matter of time. We're on the cutting edge with blog but as for this other stuff... As a district I’m not sure how we might benefit from having a Facebook or My Space page, but apparently it’s the thing to do. I know some colleges are starting to do that sort of thing.
Twitter? I don’t think so.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
No School Tomorrow
I had the opportunity to attend most of the holiday musical programs at our schools over the last few weeks. The Central Elementary Chorus almost always ends its show with this favorite song - “There’s No School Tomorrow”.
Of course, that’s every child’s wish come winter time. They wish that there would be such a snow as to cause school to be canceled. Children of all ages are not shy about lobbying the superintendent when he happens to be in the school and there are flurries in the air.
They like to give me a hard time. “Sure looks bad out their Dr. Curry. Don’t you think we should go home early? Why don’t you cancel school for tomorrow and let us know right now?”
I dish it right back. “No way! Haven’t you heard? I’m from the mountains. This little bit of snow is nothing. Don’t you want to be able to tell your children about how you had to walk 2 miles to school in 3 feet of snow, trudging up hill, both ways?”
Of course the decision is made, I assure you, independent of any lobbying by students or guardians.
Our transportation supervisor, Bill Morris, monitors the weather and the potential for fog on a daily basis. When the weather report calls for it, he’s up at 3 or 4 in the morning. Often he drives the roads and maintains communication with other transportation supervisors. If he thinks we should consider a delay or closure he calls me by 5a.m.
Often, the Kent County school chiefs will have a conference call around 5:15a.m. We try to stick together with our decision. But, sometimes the temperature can be very different between Harrington and Smyrna or from Sandtown to Bowers Beach. That difference in temperature often means the difference between rain on one road and ice/snow on another. That’s why we don’t always make the same call.
So, that’s how it works. Once a decision is made I sit at my kitchen table and record a message to go immediately to all families in Lake Forest. I make a few other calls to staff members who follow a pre-determined routine or direct more specific work rules for certain employee groups.
The thrill of a snow day is not reserved just for students. Most of us like one once in awhile. It’s a great time to catch up on piles of office work. For the teacher it’s a great time to grade papers, plan lessons or collaborate with others. It’s bonus time that is well used.
That storm last week was a real freak and I, for one, am grateful that it fell on a Saturday. Let’s hope we don’t have any of those for a long time.
Enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you next year.
Of course, that’s every child’s wish come winter time. They wish that there would be such a snow as to cause school to be canceled. Children of all ages are not shy about lobbying the superintendent when he happens to be in the school and there are flurries in the air.
They like to give me a hard time. “Sure looks bad out their Dr. Curry. Don’t you think we should go home early? Why don’t you cancel school for tomorrow and let us know right now?”
I dish it right back. “No way! Haven’t you heard? I’m from the mountains. This little bit of snow is nothing. Don’t you want to be able to tell your children about how you had to walk 2 miles to school in 3 feet of snow, trudging up hill, both ways?”
Of course the decision is made, I assure you, independent of any lobbying by students or guardians.
Our transportation supervisor, Bill Morris, monitors the weather and the potential for fog on a daily basis. When the weather report calls for it, he’s up at 3 or 4 in the morning. Often he drives the roads and maintains communication with other transportation supervisors. If he thinks we should consider a delay or closure he calls me by 5a.m.
Often, the Kent County school chiefs will have a conference call around 5:15a.m. We try to stick together with our decision. But, sometimes the temperature can be very different between Harrington and Smyrna or from Sandtown to Bowers Beach. That difference in temperature often means the difference between rain on one road and ice/snow on another. That’s why we don’t always make the same call.
So, that’s how it works. Once a decision is made I sit at my kitchen table and record a message to go immediately to all families in Lake Forest. I make a few other calls to staff members who follow a pre-determined routine or direct more specific work rules for certain employee groups.
The thrill of a snow day is not reserved just for students. Most of us like one once in awhile. It’s a great time to catch up on piles of office work. For the teacher it’s a great time to grade papers, plan lessons or collaborate with others. It’s bonus time that is well used.
That storm last week was a real freak and I, for one, am grateful that it fell on a Saturday. Let’s hope we don’t have any of those for a long time.
Enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you next year.
Friday, December 11, 2009
What to do with the $$ ?
If you haven’t been by Lake Forest High School recently, I encourage you to do so. You’ll be surprised at the attractive new additions for fine arts, physical education and athletics that are underway and soon to be complete. You can view photos of the projects at http://www.lf.k12.de.us/lfhs/.
Years ago, when planning for the remodeling and additions presently underway at Lake Forest High School, we were asked to stretch the projects out over 4 years. Given the way costs had been going up, we added to our estimates to allow for inflation. Then the economy took a nose dive and, as a result, construction bidding became very competitive.
The result – projected costs of $16 million will turn out to be more like $13 million.
Since the bonds have been sold and the money is in hand and it is clear that we will do everything promised in the referendum election and still have a surplus of about $3 million. The Lake Forest Board of Education is in the enviable position to consider additional projects.
We’ve generated a list of things that we’d like to do and will be making that decision hopefully in January. We’re sharing this information so that you may provide us with your thoughts. We cannot afford all of these things, so we’ll need to prioritize. When the final part of our current plan goes out to bid, we want to include any additional items so that we may take advantage of the current bidding climate.
The final phase at the high school (to be bid this spring with work done this summer) includes new student lockers, replacing the exterior windows, some specific classroom renovations and replacing some of the old folding classroom wall partitions with masonry walls. Final phase at W.T.Chipman includes interior walls, lockers, parking lots and athletic fields.
Following are just some of the items under consideration for inclusion:
• Brick the LFHS exterior to match the new additions
• New parking lot lighting - LFHS
• Expand and renovate library - LFHS
• Add a third serving line in the cafeteria - LFHS
• Remove walls surrounding interior courtyard and cover with roof - LFHS
• Renovate office areas - LFHS
• Install artificial turf in stadium - LFHS
• Install front entrance awning – WTC
• Air condition gym – WTC
Your thoughts are encouraged and appreciated. There are lots of ways to let us know what you think. You may comment through my blog. You may directly contact me or any members of the board of education. You can send us an e-mail or write a leter.
Years ago, when planning for the remodeling and additions presently underway at Lake Forest High School, we were asked to stretch the projects out over 4 years. Given the way costs had been going up, we added to our estimates to allow for inflation. Then the economy took a nose dive and, as a result, construction bidding became very competitive.
The result – projected costs of $16 million will turn out to be more like $13 million.
Since the bonds have been sold and the money is in hand and it is clear that we will do everything promised in the referendum election and still have a surplus of about $3 million. The Lake Forest Board of Education is in the enviable position to consider additional projects.
We’ve generated a list of things that we’d like to do and will be making that decision hopefully in January. We’re sharing this information so that you may provide us with your thoughts. We cannot afford all of these things, so we’ll need to prioritize. When the final part of our current plan goes out to bid, we want to include any additional items so that we may take advantage of the current bidding climate.
The final phase at the high school (to be bid this spring with work done this summer) includes new student lockers, replacing the exterior windows, some specific classroom renovations and replacing some of the old folding classroom wall partitions with masonry walls. Final phase at W.T.Chipman includes interior walls, lockers, parking lots and athletic fields.
Following are just some of the items under consideration for inclusion:
• Brick the LFHS exterior to match the new additions
• New parking lot lighting - LFHS
• Expand and renovate library - LFHS
• Add a third serving line in the cafeteria - LFHS
• Remove walls surrounding interior courtyard and cover with roof - LFHS
• Renovate office areas - LFHS
• Install artificial turf in stadium - LFHS
• Install front entrance awning – WTC
• Air condition gym – WTC
Your thoughts are encouraged and appreciated. There are lots of ways to let us know what you think. You may comment through my blog. You may directly contact me or any members of the board of education. You can send us an e-mail or write a leter.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Consolidation - again.
On October 9 I posted a blog with my view on consolidating school districts in DE. This week, State Auditor Thomas Wagner released a report suggesting that consolidating the 16 regular districts into 3 would save more than $45 million in "administrative costs."
The report suggests that Lake Forest would become part of a Central District that would stretch 45 miles from Milford to Middletown, a district I would estimate at around 35,000 students. The folks who put the numbers together for this report used actual school districts elsewhere in the country for comparison. I understand that Norfolk City Schools and Pittsburgh City Schools were two that were viewed as comparable to the Central School District.
Most people think of positions like mine that will be eliminated in consolidation. Going from 6 superintendents down to one is obviously a big savings. But after that, the report has some funny numbers. So funny, that it begins to lack credibility.
What they call "administrative costs" includes more than the professional leadership team. It also includes clerks, secretaries, cafeteria supervisors and maintenance staff. He're a few examples:
There are presently 19 clerks employed from Milford to Appoquinimink. The auditor's report suggests we would need no clerks when we consolidate into one.
There are presently 72 secretaries employed from Milford to Appoquinimink. The auditor's office suggests we would need only two.
There are presently 48 financial secretaries (processing purchases and payroll). The auditor's office suggests we would need only two.
OK. So, my understanding of this report suggests we'll close the central offices of Milford, Lake Forest, CR, Capitol, Smyrna and Appoquinimink and open a new one somewhere to support and serve 35,000 students, 2500+ teachers and 1500+ support staff. That central office will have 2 secretaries and 2 financial secretaries.
I don't mind Mr. Wagner suggesting that we could reduce superintendents when combining school districts. It is common to think that there are too many at the upper end of the pay scale. But, I've got to draw the line and call him out when he starts picking on the secretaries. This report makes no sense. There is no way an operation that big functions with 4 secretaries total.
Makes it hard to take the report seriously.
I refer you to the October 9 writing in this blog for more thoughts on consolidation. No doubt, some regional cooperation will help reduce administrative costs, but the auditor's plan is just numbers. And most of the numbers just don't add up.
The report suggests that Lake Forest would become part of a Central District that would stretch 45 miles from Milford to Middletown, a district I would estimate at around 35,000 students. The folks who put the numbers together for this report used actual school districts elsewhere in the country for comparison. I understand that Norfolk City Schools and Pittsburgh City Schools were two that were viewed as comparable to the Central School District.
Most people think of positions like mine that will be eliminated in consolidation. Going from 6 superintendents down to one is obviously a big savings. But after that, the report has some funny numbers. So funny, that it begins to lack credibility.
What they call "administrative costs" includes more than the professional leadership team. It also includes clerks, secretaries, cafeteria supervisors and maintenance staff. He're a few examples:
There are presently 19 clerks employed from Milford to Appoquinimink. The auditor's report suggests we would need no clerks when we consolidate into one.
There are presently 72 secretaries employed from Milford to Appoquinimink. The auditor's office suggests we would need only two.
There are presently 48 financial secretaries (processing purchases and payroll). The auditor's office suggests we would need only two.
OK. So, my understanding of this report suggests we'll close the central offices of Milford, Lake Forest, CR, Capitol, Smyrna and Appoquinimink and open a new one somewhere to support and serve 35,000 students, 2500+ teachers and 1500+ support staff. That central office will have 2 secretaries and 2 financial secretaries.
I don't mind Mr. Wagner suggesting that we could reduce superintendents when combining school districts. It is common to think that there are too many at the upper end of the pay scale. But, I've got to draw the line and call him out when he starts picking on the secretaries. This report makes no sense. There is no way an operation that big functions with 4 secretaries total.
Makes it hard to take the report seriously.
I refer you to the October 9 writing in this blog for more thoughts on consolidation. No doubt, some regional cooperation will help reduce administrative costs, but the auditor's plan is just numbers. And most of the numbers just don't add up.
Friday, November 20, 2009
What are you thankful for?
OK. For the grammarians, I know that it is improper to finish a sentence with a preposition. This should be entitled “For What Are You Thankful?” I’m not always that proper.
I do, however, get very annoyed when I overhear someone say over the phone “Where are you at?” That is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But I digress.
It is Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday and tradition. Though strongly rooted in Christian values and supported by images of gentle pious pilgrims breaking bread with Native Americans, the idea of thankfulness and gratefulness seems to be a universal value across all cultures and religions and perhaps even across the animal kingdom.
In Spanish it’s gracias. In Mandarin it’s xie xie. The Hawaiians say Mahalo. My chocolate lab, Ruby, can’t talk but says thank you with a full body tail wag whenever I bring her food or offer to throw the tennis ball for her.
Kids. We have to teach them the importance of saying thank you. Most get it from good guidance at home. Some seem to forget their manners at times, but I’m afraid we adults do send them mixed messages. The thank you is supposed to be attached to appreciation. If you don’t genuinely feel appreciation, the thank you doesn’t naturally pop in your head. Often we expect them to say thank you when someone has done something for them, but they weren’t really asking for it.
Say thank you to the dentist for stretching your mouth like a wide mouth frog? I don’t think so. Say thank you to the gym teacher for only making you do 20 push ups? Probably not. Say thank you to the barber for making you look just like your father and getting hair down your shirt? Thanks for nothing.
Still, I find as I visit our schools that children are more apt than not to say thank you at appropriate times, when they know they have been indeed given a gift. A compliment, a few extra minutes on the play ground, a snack, an opportunity to feel special and important – all will bring a quick thank you from even the rudest of kids.
Recently, I asked one of our new principals if he found our students to be different in any way from the students where he last worked. He answered, “Absolutely. The students here are polite. They look you in the eye and say good morning. They hold the door for you. They appear to be comfortable chatting with adults.”
I have much to be thankful for. I have a loving wife and healthy kids. I have a job I love in a community with a great quality of life. But it is hard to beat the grateful feeling of knowing that our kids are turning out OK; that they can treat each other with respect and compassion; that they can carry on a coherent conversation with an adult; that they know and value the idea of community service. And they know how to say “Thank You.”
I do, however, get very annoyed when I overhear someone say over the phone “Where are you at?” That is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But I digress.
It is Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday and tradition. Though strongly rooted in Christian values and supported by images of gentle pious pilgrims breaking bread with Native Americans, the idea of thankfulness and gratefulness seems to be a universal value across all cultures and religions and perhaps even across the animal kingdom.
In Spanish it’s gracias. In Mandarin it’s xie xie. The Hawaiians say Mahalo. My chocolate lab, Ruby, can’t talk but says thank you with a full body tail wag whenever I bring her food or offer to throw the tennis ball for her.
Kids. We have to teach them the importance of saying thank you. Most get it from good guidance at home. Some seem to forget their manners at times, but I’m afraid we adults do send them mixed messages. The thank you is supposed to be attached to appreciation. If you don’t genuinely feel appreciation, the thank you doesn’t naturally pop in your head. Often we expect them to say thank you when someone has done something for them, but they weren’t really asking for it.
Say thank you to the dentist for stretching your mouth like a wide mouth frog? I don’t think so. Say thank you to the gym teacher for only making you do 20 push ups? Probably not. Say thank you to the barber for making you look just like your father and getting hair down your shirt? Thanks for nothing.
Still, I find as I visit our schools that children are more apt than not to say thank you at appropriate times, when they know they have been indeed given a gift. A compliment, a few extra minutes on the play ground, a snack, an opportunity to feel special and important – all will bring a quick thank you from even the rudest of kids.
Recently, I asked one of our new principals if he found our students to be different in any way from the students where he last worked. He answered, “Absolutely. The students here are polite. They look you in the eye and say good morning. They hold the door for you. They appear to be comfortable chatting with adults.”
I have much to be thankful for. I have a loving wife and healthy kids. I have a job I love in a community with a great quality of life. But it is hard to beat the grateful feeling of knowing that our kids are turning out OK; that they can treat each other with respect and compassion; that they can carry on a coherent conversation with an adult; that they know and value the idea of community service. And they know how to say “Thank You.”
Friday, November 13, 2009
Flooded Again
The folks at Bowers Beach had to deal with flooding again. Perhaps that is a price you pay when living in paradise. Reports are that everyone is OK, though I’m sure there was plenty of damage and muck to clean up.
I’ve written about this before, so if you’ve already heard this story, I apologize. But, when it rains and brings flooding in November, I am taken back to the image of a school almost washed away in the mountains of West Virginia in 1985. At that time I worked in the Central Office, but just a few years before I had been principal at Marlinton Elementary. The main building was in the flood plain. We knew that and tolerated the occasional heavy rain that pooled in the road and leaked muddy water under the door sills.
In 1978 we built a new elementary school on 3 feet of fill to get it well above the 100 year flood line. What we didn’t know was that in a few years, we would find out what a 500 year flood would be like. That means the kind of high water that may come around once every 500 years.
After moving school buses and district vehicles to higher ground, we all went to bed that night, knowing there was more water in the streets than ever and fearing for the safety of those we knew lived in its direct path. When your whole town is built in the flood plain of a significant river that is fed by high wall mountain streams, flood water can come in like a tidal wave.
I was up at daylight and glad to see the high water mark in my neighborhood stopped at the corner, 3 doors down. I was the first on the scene at school. Wearing my fishing waders I didn’t have to wait for the water to totally subside. I found that the water had reached around 8 feet in the old main building and 5 feet in the new school.
It is amazing how the water, with no doors or windows open, managed to reach the same level inside the buildings as outside. Equally amazing was the amount of mud that came with it. When the flood subsided, each classroom looked like the bottom of a peanut butter milk shake. Furniture was churned and scattered with books and other materials and all was covered in 3 - 6 inches of stinky brown muck.
Across the street sat the modest home of my friend Arch, a retired high school teacher and football coach and his wife Trudy, a kindergarten aide. Siding was missing from the house and the back deck was gone. The water line was two feet above the top of the front door. I knocked, assuming that they had left for high ground the night before and was surprised to have them both come to the door. We hooted and hollered and hugged just to see that they were OK.
They told me that as the water entered their house quickly. There was no time to wade out, so they got a step ladder and moved through the small square hatch that gave access to their tiny attic. You couldn’t help but laugh when Arch described how hunger took over good sense in the middle of the night, causing him to strip naked and swim in the icy pool that was their kitchen in order to recover a pot roast that Trudy had protected by stowing it on top of the fridge.
Thank God there were no lives lost in Marlinton that time. We learned through that flood that it’s just stuff. Stuff can be hosed off with a fire hose and re-used or thrown away and replaced. We were cleaned up and back in school in a week. We learned that people will show up from hundreds of miles away to help. We learned to appreciate that a community and its spirit could never be dampened by a little rain.
I’ve written about this before, so if you’ve already heard this story, I apologize. But, when it rains and brings flooding in November, I am taken back to the image of a school almost washed away in the mountains of West Virginia in 1985. At that time I worked in the Central Office, but just a few years before I had been principal at Marlinton Elementary. The main building was in the flood plain. We knew that and tolerated the occasional heavy rain that pooled in the road and leaked muddy water under the door sills.
In 1978 we built a new elementary school on 3 feet of fill to get it well above the 100 year flood line. What we didn’t know was that in a few years, we would find out what a 500 year flood would be like. That means the kind of high water that may come around once every 500 years.
After moving school buses and district vehicles to higher ground, we all went to bed that night, knowing there was more water in the streets than ever and fearing for the safety of those we knew lived in its direct path. When your whole town is built in the flood plain of a significant river that is fed by high wall mountain streams, flood water can come in like a tidal wave.
I was up at daylight and glad to see the high water mark in my neighborhood stopped at the corner, 3 doors down. I was the first on the scene at school. Wearing my fishing waders I didn’t have to wait for the water to totally subside. I found that the water had reached around 8 feet in the old main building and 5 feet in the new school.
It is amazing how the water, with no doors or windows open, managed to reach the same level inside the buildings as outside. Equally amazing was the amount of mud that came with it. When the flood subsided, each classroom looked like the bottom of a peanut butter milk shake. Furniture was churned and scattered with books and other materials and all was covered in 3 - 6 inches of stinky brown muck.
Across the street sat the modest home of my friend Arch, a retired high school teacher and football coach and his wife Trudy, a kindergarten aide. Siding was missing from the house and the back deck was gone. The water line was two feet above the top of the front door. I knocked, assuming that they had left for high ground the night before and was surprised to have them both come to the door. We hooted and hollered and hugged just to see that they were OK.
They told me that as the water entered their house quickly. There was no time to wade out, so they got a step ladder and moved through the small square hatch that gave access to their tiny attic. You couldn’t help but laugh when Arch described how hunger took over good sense in the middle of the night, causing him to strip naked and swim in the icy pool that was their kitchen in order to recover a pot roast that Trudy had protected by stowing it on top of the fridge.
Thank God there were no lives lost in Marlinton that time. We learned through that flood that it’s just stuff. Stuff can be hosed off with a fire hose and re-used or thrown away and replaced. We were cleaned up and back in school in a week. We learned that people will show up from hundreds of miles away to help. We learned to appreciate that a community and its spirit could never be dampened by a little rain.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Teacher of the Year
It is a simple word – teacher. Young children learn it early. If not by entering pre-school they learn the word from an older sibling who loves to play school.
The world has been shaped by so many teachers. Jesus is often called teacher in the scriptures. Many other spiritual leaders of the world’s religions have been called teacher as well. Most made their impact upon their followers by being a great teacher.
World famous teachers have shaped our understanding of science and math, our world the universe and our role in it. Einstein, Aristotle, Confucius, Sir Isaac Newton.
Outside of the immediate family, nobody has more influence over the development of a child than teacher. How many parents, in fact, tire of their little ones who might too frequently begin a sentence with “Teacher says….”.
To be a teacher is to follow a calling. Not everyone is cut out for it. In fact, just recently I was talking to a past Lake Forest graduate, who while substitute teaching, told me he intended to go back to college and get that teaching degree. But after 3 months substitute teaching in one room and all the responsibility that goes with it, he changed his mind and pursued another career.
It is not an easy job. ABC and 123 is not so complicated on the surface, but soon the words and numbers are arranged in all sorts of complicated groups and patterns with other special symbols and add to that the influence of 20 or more students at a time and their present state of mind - nutrition and hygiene and hormones and ADHD and learning disabilities and a lady bug just landed on my desk.
Teachers are not all interchangeable. She who loves 5 year olds may loathe and fear 15 year olds. He who loves history may stumble through biology. It takes a specialized understanding of the subject and an appreciation for the age group. It also takes a willingness to think like a teacher 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This year’s Lake Forest Teacher of the Year is Karen Williams. She was recently honored at a banquet at Dover Downs along with other district teachers of the year from all over Delaware. She was not selected to be State Teacher of the Year, but she would’ve made a good one. A social studies teacher at Lake Forest High, Mrs. Williams’ strong suit is community service and student activities. For years she has sponsored student government and developed the leadership skills of our students, preparing them to take care of our government and our businesses in our old age.
Blood drive – Lake Forest collects the most blood. Pass the hat among students and Mrs. Williams’ kids have raised thousands and thousands of dollars for local charities. Homecoming – that’s her baby. You will find her in the background of so many of our more well known community events. Her dedication to the school and community are noteworthy and our children are lucky to have her.
Mrs. Williams represents all of our finest teachers. Until next October, her picture with some of her students posed at the Food Bank will grace the billboard on Rt. 13 North just before Paradise Alley. We’re proud of her and the way she represents the district. We’re glad she’s a Spartan
The world has been shaped by so many teachers. Jesus is often called teacher in the scriptures. Many other spiritual leaders of the world’s religions have been called teacher as well. Most made their impact upon their followers by being a great teacher.
World famous teachers have shaped our understanding of science and math, our world the universe and our role in it. Einstein, Aristotle, Confucius, Sir Isaac Newton.
Outside of the immediate family, nobody has more influence over the development of a child than teacher. How many parents, in fact, tire of their little ones who might too frequently begin a sentence with “Teacher says….”.
To be a teacher is to follow a calling. Not everyone is cut out for it. In fact, just recently I was talking to a past Lake Forest graduate, who while substitute teaching, told me he intended to go back to college and get that teaching degree. But after 3 months substitute teaching in one room and all the responsibility that goes with it, he changed his mind and pursued another career.
It is not an easy job. ABC and 123 is not so complicated on the surface, but soon the words and numbers are arranged in all sorts of complicated groups and patterns with other special symbols and add to that the influence of 20 or more students at a time and their present state of mind - nutrition and hygiene and hormones and ADHD and learning disabilities and a lady bug just landed on my desk.
Teachers are not all interchangeable. She who loves 5 year olds may loathe and fear 15 year olds. He who loves history may stumble through biology. It takes a specialized understanding of the subject and an appreciation for the age group. It also takes a willingness to think like a teacher 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
This year’s Lake Forest Teacher of the Year is Karen Williams. She was recently honored at a banquet at Dover Downs along with other district teachers of the year from all over Delaware. She was not selected to be State Teacher of the Year, but she would’ve made a good one. A social studies teacher at Lake Forest High, Mrs. Williams’ strong suit is community service and student activities. For years she has sponsored student government and developed the leadership skills of our students, preparing them to take care of our government and our businesses in our old age.
Blood drive – Lake Forest collects the most blood. Pass the hat among students and Mrs. Williams’ kids have raised thousands and thousands of dollars for local charities. Homecoming – that’s her baby. You will find her in the background of so many of our more well known community events. Her dedication to the school and community are noteworthy and our children are lucky to have her.
Mrs. Williams represents all of our finest teachers. Until next October, her picture with some of her students posed at the Food Bank will grace the billboard on Rt. 13 North just before Paradise Alley. We’re proud of her and the way she represents the district. We’re glad she’s a Spartan
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