Sleeping Beauty

If you have been following the news over the past few months, you know that the country of Mexico is in a real fix now with drug wars. I mention this because we are so far away in Iowa that when we hear or read about it, we pass it off with a “it's none of our business” or “too bad for them” type of attitude. Please bear with me as I relate a story to you.

Lori K. Gonzalez taught 6th grade math in McAllen, Texas, for 24 years. By all accounts, she was a good teacher, a caring teacher, loved and respected by many. On Wednesday, March 24th, she and her family, husband Jose and daughter Adriana, were out paying bills. She decided to stop for a soda as she had developed a head ache. She asked Jose to drive when she came back to the van. It wasn't three blocks and 5 minutes later she lay dead at the scene of a horrific auto accident. Her husband had a broken hip and their daughter had a cracked pelvis and lacerations to her spleen and liver.

This accident happened because there was a high speed chase between rival drug cartel members. In a scene reminiscent of a wild west movie, shots were being fired between their pick-up trucks. The lead truck blew through a red light and smacked right into the side of the Gonzalez van, the passenger side. Poor Lori did not have a chance. It was a tragedy of the largest magnitude. A husband lies in the hospital with a broken hip and a 15 year sophomore is now missing her best friend. Could this have all been averted? Who knows.

What the McAllen School District and the City of McAllen did then was amazing. A collection was gathered from teachers and staff, totaling $1000 for family expenses, the city held a reception for community members following a memorial service and at the reception, more money was gathered for Adriana and Jose. They treated Lori Gonzalez as a local hero because she was, she was a teacher.

As you can probably tell, I know Lori Gonzalez. I knew her quite well. She was my wife Victoria's sister. A girl from the small town of Bode, Iowa, a Wartburg College graduate, a terrific mother and friend. I've done an awful lot of reflecting since Wednesday. Reflecting on how that family is going to continue to get up in the morning and go about their business. When something like this happens and it's a long way from home, tragedy can be downplayed. The way the school and their administrators, teachers and staff opened up to my wife and her other sister, Tami, was truly amazing.

You know, sometimes teachers are held in very high regard and yet it's an easy profession for some to criticize, particularly if you or your child struggled in school. All teachers should be hailed as heroes, not only after they're gone, but at all times. We shape lives, we teach kids to think, to create, to communicate, to collaborate, to become productive citizens. How I pray that there were no illegal drug use and that these drug wars would end. Unfortunately, they won't and there will be other tragedies to deal with in the future. I hope and pray that something like this never happens again.

Above is a picture of Adriana as she recovers in the hospital in McAllen. She's a beautiful young lady who now has some unusual challenges ahead for her in this life. God Bless you Lori!

Okoboji Site Visit Report Released

On January 26th through the 28th, the Okoboji Community Schools went through its state accreditation visit from the Department of Education. We had a group of six members on the team and they spent time with parents, the board, staff, students and administrators making sure we are meeting the necessary guidelines as prescribed by the state. We received the final report from the team and I would like to share some of the highlights with the readers. There has been a change in that the DE now looks at several “strands” which is a change from year’s past. The entire report will be posted on the school’s website shortly if you would like to read it in its entirety.
The first strand is Vision, Mission and Goals. The line that stood out to me said, “It was evident from observation and interviewees that students continually receive messages of encouragement and support to achieve at high levels.” That says an awful lot to me as it shows that we have a caring staff that really wants our kids to succeed.

Under the second strand of Leadership, it states, “As a team, principals and the superintendent are forward-looking, thoughtful, and enthusiastic about goal setting and providing high quality educational programs.” I’m really proud of our board and administrative team and the good work that gets accomplished in each building. We all share the same vision, of making the Okoboji schools and students the best they can be.

The next strand is Collaborative Relationships and it states, “Teachers value opportunities to collaborate with other teachers.” One of the mantras we try to follow for both students and staff is that we want people to create, communicate and collaborate. I was very pleased to see that line in the report and that our teachers feel that they are getting the necessary time to work with their colleagues.

Strand four is Learning Environment and it states, “All interviewees expressed pride in the facilities. The district’s buildings and grounds were described as an asset.” To borrow a phrase from my youth – Right On! Dennis Baschke and his crew of custodians do more than an outstanding job with our buildings and grounds. Our summer list of maintenance items gets smaller each year as this hard working crew keeps everything up to date. We are very proud of our facilities.

The next strand is Curriculum and Instruction. One of the highlights states, “Flexible reading groups in the elementary school provide students with reading instruction to provide instruction at developmentally appropriate levels.” All of our teachers work very hard to bring the best instructional practices into their classrooms. The flexible reading groups is just one example of how our teachers meet the needs of all students.

Strand six is Professional Development and it states, “The district values professional development and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the advancement of teachers’ knowledge and skills.” We all know that schools are either getting better or getting worse and that there is no status quo in education. Our teachers model the continuous improvement model by always striving to get better in their craft. Our professional development is certainly a strength of this district.

The final strand is Monitoring and Accountability. This sentence highlight reads, “Communication with parents, students, and community members is augmented through a variety of electronic tools.” It is becoming a digital world and Okoboji is utilizing this communication tool to let parents know what is happening with their children.

As you can see, these highlights certainly shine brightly on our school district and there are many more fine comments on the entire report. In fairness, there were some things that were listed as areas that we can improve upon, but everyone, including myself, can improve in some areas, so we will attack those areas with the same gusto we have on other projects and we will continue to make Okoboji schools “Leaders in Learning.” Thanks for supporting the Okoboji Community Schools!