By Bob Erb
Monroe School Board
More than 40 years ago, I was a middle-schooler from a broken home, on the free lunch program at my new school. It bothered me that my lunch ticket, which had to be handed to the lunch staff each day to be punched, was a different color - pink meant free, yellow meant paid. My siblings and I had been removed from my mom by the courts and placed with my dad and stepmom, so I was now the "new kid." Life was pretty challenging. How we eight kids and adults managed to orbit our one bathroom each morning without incident defied the laws of physics, the laws of nature, or both. I wasn't sure about a lot then, but it sure felt like I didn't have much going for me.
The middle school and high school years that followed brought great personal and academic growth for me, all because I was fortunate to have teachers in my life who cared about me, and about what became of me. Teachers like Mr. Pringle, who taught me about politics during the Carter-Ford election. Or Mr. Werve, who taught me to step "8 to 5" in marching band, and a deep appreciation of jazz. Mr. Oberwetter, who taught me that a good business letter can't be done in less than three drafts, even by the best of students. Or Ms. Bradley, who taught me to be a top-notch typist, a skill I use every day. There was Mr. Price, who taught me to write my first lines of computer code, opening my eyes to the world of technology. Mr. Baughn, who took the time to tell me that my essays were college-level work. And Mr. Greason, who instilled in me a lifelong love of history and an understanding that it was okay to have high expectations for myself in life, regardless of my circumstances.
These teachers did more than just teach. They changed people's lives, for the better, mine among them. Classmates still talk about them, and the profound effect they had on their lives. They made you try harder, do more, and believe - not only in yourself, but in what was possible. I wish, for their sake, that they could all know how important their work was, for me and for others.
Not all teachers are like these ones. Every teacher is not a great teacher, every school is not a great school, and every student is not a great student. But where there are committed teachers and students - kids who are talented or struggling, rich or poor, clean or dirty, obedient or mischievous - magic can happen. When people ask me why our schools are important, I tell them how my schools and my teachers changed my life, because I want people to know that, unlike any other institution I know of, schools can make a difference.
This is why I joined the Monroe school board more than 10 years ago, and this is why I have spent those years trying to make a difference. In our schools today, I know there are kids just like me out there, who need our schools to make a difference in their lives. And I know that what our schools are capable of providing can make that difference.
It's easy to look at some programs as wasteful, from afar. But sports taught me to be a leader, how to work with people, and how to handle success and disappointment. The arts taught me precision and discipline and a love of music and theater. Tech Ed courses made me appreciate quality craftsmanship. And my business courses built a foundation in finance, accounting, and the law that became a path to a career.
People have every right to vote no on our Monroe school referendums. Giving yourself a tax increase is a tough choice, and I know that many in Monroe struggle to make ends meet. But education should be the last thing we sacrifice, because for many, it is the path to a better life. Many of the kids in our schools today will be the neighbors, doctors, plumbers, teachers, or bus drivers that Monroe will count on to take us into the future, and it's important for them to have the best education we can provide. When we weaken our schools, we're eating our seed corn, and like many around here know, that's not good for the future.
Please support making our schools the place every great teacher wants to teach, and every parent wants to send their child. Help make our schools the cornerstone of a great community. Help us make a difference, for today, and for the future.
- Bob Erb is the president of the Monroe school board.
Monroe School Board
More than 40 years ago, I was a middle-schooler from a broken home, on the free lunch program at my new school. It bothered me that my lunch ticket, which had to be handed to the lunch staff each day to be punched, was a different color - pink meant free, yellow meant paid. My siblings and I had been removed from my mom by the courts and placed with my dad and stepmom, so I was now the "new kid." Life was pretty challenging. How we eight kids and adults managed to orbit our one bathroom each morning without incident defied the laws of physics, the laws of nature, or both. I wasn't sure about a lot then, but it sure felt like I didn't have much going for me.
The middle school and high school years that followed brought great personal and academic growth for me, all because I was fortunate to have teachers in my life who cared about me, and about what became of me. Teachers like Mr. Pringle, who taught me about politics during the Carter-Ford election. Or Mr. Werve, who taught me to step "8 to 5" in marching band, and a deep appreciation of jazz. Mr. Oberwetter, who taught me that a good business letter can't be done in less than three drafts, even by the best of students. Or Ms. Bradley, who taught me to be a top-notch typist, a skill I use every day. There was Mr. Price, who taught me to write my first lines of computer code, opening my eyes to the world of technology. Mr. Baughn, who took the time to tell me that my essays were college-level work. And Mr. Greason, who instilled in me a lifelong love of history and an understanding that it was okay to have high expectations for myself in life, regardless of my circumstances.
These teachers did more than just teach. They changed people's lives, for the better, mine among them. Classmates still talk about them, and the profound effect they had on their lives. They made you try harder, do more, and believe - not only in yourself, but in what was possible. I wish, for their sake, that they could all know how important their work was, for me and for others.
Not all teachers are like these ones. Every teacher is not a great teacher, every school is not a great school, and every student is not a great student. But where there are committed teachers and students - kids who are talented or struggling, rich or poor, clean or dirty, obedient or mischievous - magic can happen. When people ask me why our schools are important, I tell them how my schools and my teachers changed my life, because I want people to know that, unlike any other institution I know of, schools can make a difference.
This is why I joined the Monroe school board more than 10 years ago, and this is why I have spent those years trying to make a difference. In our schools today, I know there are kids just like me out there, who need our schools to make a difference in their lives. And I know that what our schools are capable of providing can make that difference.
It's easy to look at some programs as wasteful, from afar. But sports taught me to be a leader, how to work with people, and how to handle success and disappointment. The arts taught me precision and discipline and a love of music and theater. Tech Ed courses made me appreciate quality craftsmanship. And my business courses built a foundation in finance, accounting, and the law that became a path to a career.
People have every right to vote no on our Monroe school referendums. Giving yourself a tax increase is a tough choice, and I know that many in Monroe struggle to make ends meet. But education should be the last thing we sacrifice, because for many, it is the path to a better life. Many of the kids in our schools today will be the neighbors, doctors, plumbers, teachers, or bus drivers that Monroe will count on to take us into the future, and it's important for them to have the best education we can provide. When we weaken our schools, we're eating our seed corn, and like many around here know, that's not good for the future.
Please support making our schools the place every great teacher wants to teach, and every parent wants to send their child. Help make our schools the cornerstone of a great community. Help us make a difference, for today, and for the future.
- Bob Erb is the president of the Monroe school board.
