| SEARCH OnWEAC |
|---|
"We
need to get back to what we were as a proud nation that respects people,"
WEAC President Stan Johnson told students, parents and educators at
a banquet honoring outstanding students and teachers on April 14.
"We need to understand that we're all Americans and need to move in the right direction," Johnson told the Northern United Educators Outstanding Student Banquet in Rice Lake.
Johnson was the keynote speaker at the annual banquet, which honors one outstanding student from each of the UniServ's 27 school districts. Each student invites the teacher he or she considers the most influential to also be honored at the event.
"It's important for you to realize it's people who make the world," Johnson told the banquet.
He said people in our society are becoming isolated.
"People are starting to move into gated communities," he said. "They are moving away from the problems of society. We need to change that. We need to be reminded of the importance of human interaction. It's important to be able to communicate your thoughts to another person. We need to seek first to understand before being understood."
"I believe everyone deserves a great school," he said. "Communities should be involved in discussions" about how to make their schools great.
Johnson said there has been a focus on taxpayers, instead of citizens, leading to negative attitudes toward government and public education.
"Our democracy depends on people being able to communicate with each other," he said.
"Government is good," he said. "It gives us order out of the chaos of life."
Johnson said some people claim we throw money at education.
"I think it's the reverse," he said. "Our first investment should be in our kids, because they are our future."
He urged the students, parents and educators at the program to communicate with other citizens about creating great schools for every child.
"Talk to citizens about what's important in your community," he said. "Tell them about the good things" in our schools.
Johnson called on the audience to "make sure Wisconsin is a place people brag about and want to be part of."
He said the effort will take work, but is worthwhile.
"Success comes before work only in the dictionary," he said.
Posted April 20, 2004