SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 1, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 9/5/17
In this edition:
*School Board Elections
*Teachers
*Supervisors Are Busy!
*Did You Know?
*School Board Elections
School
Board elections are upon us, and I want to put in a plug for my friend JP
Claussen.
I
LOVE JP Claussen! That sounds hyperbolic, and perhaps it is. But I have known
JP a long time. He taught two of my kids almost 20 years ago at the Broadway
Neighborhood Center. I fell in love with him then, and nothing since then has
made me think any less of him.
JP
has worked for the past three years as an educator for the
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He is also a former president of the Iowa
City Education Association. JP
is kind, smart, caring, courageous, hard working, and a great listener. I have
never seen him do anything other than stand up for those with less.
JP
is also a labor guy – endorsed by the IC Federation of Labor. JP earned this,
having spent several years on the ICCSD bargaining team representing the
teachers. I am a big believer in the value of organized labor.
I
also support Ruthina Malone for a 4-year term. While I have not known her long,
I am impressed by her hard work and persistence. She has followed through at
every turn. Ruthina does not suffer fools, and that will serve us well.
My
final vote for a 4-year term goes to Janet Godwin. In addition to working hard,
Janet has demonstrated a willingness to reach out that we need in the ICCSD.
As
for the 2-year term: I really like Shawn Eyestone. He is smart, funny, and I
think he has the ability to serve the ICCSD well. But I am voting for Charlie
Eastham. I have spent years working side4 by side with Charlie on issues of
social justice. He is the real deal.
So
please vote, and please vote for JP, Ruthina, Janet, Charlie, and YES on the ICCSD
and Kirkwood Bonds!
*Teachers
I
wrote the following piece in May of 2015. Ironically, I wrote it thinking we
were done being parents in the ICCSD. Then more foster children came along just
a while later and changed our plans!
The piece came to mind again as we gear up for the One Community.
One Bond. Vote. My children were blessed with literally scores of GREAT
teachers; I tried to say as much in this 2015 selection.
The people I talk about below? They deserve the very best. Our
kids deserve the very best. Though it was not written for the purpose of
supporting the bond, I hope it motivates you to vote yes! Here it is:
BJ is our baby. Within a few months, we will be empty nesters. It
has not sunk in yet, but we are almost finished with our long run in the ICCSD.
I
cannot allow this milestone to pass without acknowledging the amazing, AMAZING
teachers that have helped our children along the way!
I
estimate that the kids probably had ~ 100 teachers between the three of them. Then
there are the teachers we met throughout the District through serving as foster
parents. So we saw a little bit of things everywhere, and a LOT at Hoover,
SEJH, and City High.
Not EVERY teacher was excellent – over the years, there were
probably 2-3 people who needed to leave the profession. But oh, the other 98%!
You were smart, patient, kind, firm, fair, hard working, and you really, truly
cared for my kids.
OK, now I am tearing up. It seems almost unfair to name anyone,
because I will be leaving others out. But I just cannot help it. So, with
apologies to all those wonderful people who also deserve to be mentioned, my
greatest appreciation to:
*Ann Allaire: They were so little, so hurt, and so scared. You
taught them that school was safe and fun.
*Lorraine Whittington: It is amazing what a young person can do if
you challenge them!
*Jeff Kosier: The bark was always worse than the bite! J
*Pete Muir: Nobody does it better, my friend. You are a legend!
*Jill Harper: My daughter graduated because of you, plain and
simple. You made such a monumental difference in her life. Thanks.
*Terry Coleman and Bill McTaggart: Great coaches and better men.
What more could a parent want? It was a fun ride!
*Ali Borger-German and Robin Fields: The kids know you care, and
they appreciate it. They don’t always show it, but they appreciate it! Keep
pushing!
*Carrie Watson: The Pete Muir “Force” lives on, and it lives on in
you. Carry that torch! J
And it was not just teachers. We had great custodians, support
staff, and food service workers. We even had Bob Cowell, the legendary hugging
crossing guard.
Administrators? Principals Marilyn Wirtz, Deb Wretman, and John
Bacon make up ¾ of a Mount Rushmore of Principals. It simply does not get
better!
I should not have named people. Because I could have named so many
more. But my goodness, you folks have helped my family! How does a person
adequately say “thank you” for that? I feel as though I should break into “To
Sir With Love”! But I will spare you that.
I
simply do not have the words to express the gratitude I owe these people. It is
a debt that can never be repaid. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I love
you all! And I love the ICCSD!
*Supervisors Are Busy!
I
have served as a County Supervisor for about 12 and a half years now. During
that time, I have read thousands of reports and budgets, responded to thousands
of emails and phone calls, and sat through many hundreds of meetings. All of
that is just part of the job.
None
of these things are my favorite part of the job, however. That would be
attending community meetings and events. Even my favorite part of the job can
get a bit daunting, however.
The
busiest time of day for me – by far – is 4-7 PM on weekdays. This makes sense;
the people scheduling such events understand that many people cannot attend
events during the day. In addition, attendance is often better if folks can
attend right after work, rather than going home, then heading out again. So 4-7
PM becomes a popular time for meetings and events.
I
started thinking about the frequency of these events following a particularly
busy week. On a typical Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, I can have 5 different
events I could (should?) attend during that 4-7 window.
Naturally,
this presents some challenges. A Supervisor can simply skip certain events. You
can put greater focus on areas that interest you. You can call organizers and
offer condolences. You can try to get to everything, just stopping in to be
seen, then heading off to the next event. Frankly, it is just more than any one
person can do. Every Supervisor handles it differently; I’m not certain that
there is a “best” way.
I
think the message I want to send is that while attendance at events is one
measure of a Supervisor’s effectiveness, it is not the only measure. As a
matter of fact, I would rank attendance at events pretty low on the list of
important qualities in a Supervisor.
Supervisors need to study the issues, master the facts, and spend
time with staff. They need to be compassionate, fair, honest, ethical, and
genuine. And yes, they need to attend some community events!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The ICCSD employs 2330 faculty and staff.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 4:13 PM
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