Lima schools gives something for which to be thankful

Thanksgiving is a thankful time. Thankful for family, and for health and all the usual things to be grateful for. And this year I'd like to add a thanks for the teachers I had some 20-ish years ago at Lima Senior High School.

Not the traditional turkey day thanks, I know, but I reunited recently with a few of those teachers of mine and seeing them again - sitting and talking with them - well, it got me thinking about how influential they were to me.

We all had teachers who inspired us. The ones you knew cared, who listened. The ones who took the time to explain something over and over until you understood. The ones you remember after 20 years.

I think I got a pretty good education in Lima. Sure, it's easy for me to be sentimental about my alma mater, but I'm a realist, too. I know times are different. Kids are different and the educational system is different. I heard stories when I moved my family back here and started looking at schools for my kids. I heard about test scores and bullying and good Lord don't put your son at Lima North! I got nervous. I researched. I got more nervous.

But then I talked to a couple of those former teachers of mine and I made my choice in favor of Lima schools. It wasn't anything they said - there was no hard sales pitch in favor of the city schools. It was simply a reminder that there are good teachers out there - in every school district. My kids have had some good teachers in the past and they'll have good ones in their futures. Hopefully they'll have a few who inspire them. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know Lima schools aren't perfect. There's no such thing as a perfect school. I could compare test scores and classroom sizes until I pull my hair out, but in the end it boils down to a few questions.

Are my kids learning what they need? Are they safe? Are they adjusted and happy? Test scores are just numbers and bullies are everywhere, even in schools with high test scores. The real test is when I sit with my daughter and she can read fluently at her grade level, and that she enjoys it. Or when my son brings home his violin for a living-room concert. I can hear improvement each time he plays and see his pride in learning an instrument. I take them to the library, the museum, to plays and concerts. I talk, I listen. I try my best to be involved.

I feel now like I'm getting dangerously close to hopping on a soapbox, but I really believe it. I'm not a perfect parent. No such thing. But like I said, I try ... and I'm a realist. If I see signs that my kids aren't learning what they should or are facing bully-like troubles, I will intervene. That's all we can do. And have faith that the people who chose education as a profession have a desire and passion to teach. For them I'm thankful, not just for the education I received, but for the education my kids are getting now.