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Public Schools Work for Wisconsin.
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- By Pete Roller
- WEAC Community Relations Consultant
- Written for OnWEAC
About a half dozen miles from the Illinois border in south central Wisconsin there lies the little farm community of Juda. The K-12 school district there provides education for almost 300 students.
A lot of positive things can be said about small districts like Juda:
- The staff knows the children and their families very well.
- There is often a low teacher-student ratio and the class sizes are small.
- The school is the focal point of many community activities so there is good support for the educational program as well as the athletic teams.
- There is collegiality among the staff members because they share a common vision.
In the Juda school district, this sense of common purpose shared by the 30 teachers clearly makes the difference for the children who attend there. A recent team-building inservice program affirmed what many teachers had sensed for quite a while.
During the inservice, the teachers were asked to individually share their personal answers to the question, “Why do you teach in the public schools?”
The replies that came up most often were:
- “I like kids.”
- “I like to see the learning process occur in my kids.”
- “I like my subject.”
- “I like the creativity demanded of me.”
- “I believe I make a difference for children, my community, the state, or the nation.”
Every one of the teachers in the room had those same central beliefs.
When the group began to acknowledge their shared feelings about their work, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. The group became quietly respectful and as they began to look around at one another, it was almost as if they were seeing their colleagues through different eyes.
The inservice facilitator then asked them to identify the elements of their school program which were especially beneficial to students. Once again, the responses were not surprising.
“Our classes aren’t as small as they once were, but our specialty teachers and aides help us give the individual attention that makes the difference,” was one common statement.
“We know these families and the kids pretty well, so the chance that one of them will get lost in the shuffle like in a big school just isn’t in the cards,” was another viewpoint quickly agreed upon.
“The relationship we all have is what’s important to me,” was also a comment that got immediate and positive support.
As the group continued to identify the many positive things that make teaching and learning go well in the Juda School, it became increasingly apparent that these teachers understand their role as professional educators. They know what they are doing in their classrooms and how their efforts fit into the entire program and mission of the district.
And it was clear that they care about their students and one another.
That caring was illustrated by a comment made by one of the most veteran teachers in the group. He said:
“We have a lot of great kids here and when we get them in high school they are pretty well-mannered, they can read and they really seem to want to do well in school. That is because of you elementary teachers. I’ve never told you this but our successes with the high school kids is due to the preparation you have given them. Thanks!”
The group was again silent.
The public school in Juda works. The teachers in Juda actively continue to build on their excellent record of student achievement. And, they continue to celebrate one another’s contributions to their district’s mission.
The children in the Juda School are the beneficiaries. That’s what it means to Build on the Best!
Posted December 4, 1997
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