The Campbell family was having an empty feeling. Their oldest boy was a junior in college and living away from home, and now his younger brother Chris was starting his freshman year there, too. Scott, the middle boy, had been mildly retarded at birth due to oxygen deprivation and had recently moved into a group home where he could work some with supervision and learn life skills, like handling the money he earned with the help of the adult counselors provided 24 hours a day by the home.
The Campbells were left at home with their two youngest daughters Kris and Kim. These girls were a year apart in upper elementary school. It felt like the four of them rattled around in their nearly-empty arts and crafts style bungalow, built in the 1920's just outside of town. Every time we looked into the empty bedrooms of the three older kids, we realized how things were changing. It seemed like tomorrow the girls would be off to college, too, and then what would the house be like, echoing emptily as we walked around. At dinner that night we talked it over with the girls, and they thought it was time to get a puppy.
Not a puppy, we said, because they make messes everywhere, chew everything, and had to be walked at all hours of the day and night. The girls begged and pleaded for a puppy, especially for us not to say no but to think about it.
Several days went by, and one night Charlie sat reading his evening newspaper after dinner and decided to read the classified ads. Imagine his surprise to learn that there was a breeder in northwest Iowa that bred and raised Scotty dogs. That night as Charlie and Judy put the girls to bed, they suggested a field trip to the Iowa farm where Scotties were raised. The girls shrieked for joy and had a hard time getting to sleep as they were going to go see about the Scotty dog on the next day.
On the way out of town the Campbells stopped at Scott's group home, and he wanted to go along on the trip. So the five Campbells set out for northwest Iowa. Quickly crossing the Missouri River, they headed north through the rolling hills and farm country of Iowa. After about two hours they pulled into a farm with a large red barn and white farmhouse. They were greeted by several adult Scotty dogs, and following them was Mrs. MacFarland. Mrs. MacFarland walked with us over toward the red barn and mentioned that they had only one Scotty male pup and one Westy male pup left. She said that when these puppies found homes, that they were going to retire from the puppy breeding business and retire to Texas, as least in the winter months.
When we got into the barn, we quickly were introduced to the two puppies. Scotties and Westies do not look much like each other, and today are considered separate breeds; but genetically they are the same. Westies are called West Highland Scottish Terriers while Scotties are simply Scottish Terriers. Well, the Campbells are thoroughly Scottish, too. Scott quickly sat down on the hay-covered barn floor, and both of the puppies did their best to clean his face. He loved them both right away and did not want to have to choose which puppy would go home with the family. Kim discovered that the Scotty puppy loved her hair and tried to sniff it right off her head. Kris and Scott shared the Westy's affections, and all looked to their parents to see what would happen. Mrs. MacFarland, watching this scene, said that if we would take both of the puppies that she would give us a great discount on their cost. Charlie and Judy looked at each other and knew when they had been outfoxed and agreed. Charlie got out the checkbook and paid Mrs. MacFarland for the puppies, and the seven Campbells headed back toward home. By the time they reached the interstate, the puppies were both asleep, one on each of the girl's laps. We were the now proud owners of not one but two new puppies.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Retire to Something
When we were planning our retirement, I thought it was important to retire TO something rather than FROM something. So we looked into running a bread and breakfast and into setting up an antique business. The antique business proved more interesting to us, and in 1991 we set up our business and started doing antique shows. A friend in the business suggested that we could do better if we opened a booth in an antique mall, and we started out with a space that was 10 x 10. We quickly outgrew this space and kept enlarging our operation until we ultimately had one of the largest booths in the entire mall. This business gave us reason to attend estate sales, visit other malls, and go to every garage sale we could get to on any free weekends. When it came time to retire five years later, we were fully entrenched in the business and constantly looked for ways to extend the business, including doing antique fairs throughout the country. This led us into buying a trailer which could be pulled behind our Suburban, and shortly after that we traded this rig for our first motor home. Now, two motor homes later, we actually live full time in our motor home.
We started out doing antiques and ended up traveling full time. This past year we finally closed the business and sold all of our antique inventory. It was time, as doing shows was getting hard for us, and the bottom seemed to have fallen out of the antique business if you wanted to make a profit. However, the sixteen years that we were in the business were fascinating, and we never tired of buying or selling. We made some wonderful buys over the years and especially enjoyed finding new homes for the fun items we found. Some of the items were indeed one of a kind, and sometimes it was hard to part with when the time came and it was sold. We made our share of mistakes along the way and still own hundreds of commemorative plates that we bought before that market dried up completely. We started many collections, from cranberry glass to clocks, and when finally tired of them began to sell them off. Our nephews used to enjoy counting all the clocks in our house and quit when they discovered sixty or more just in the living room.
The best part of the business was the people we met along the way and the friendships formed. We still love to go to antique shows and see who is still in the business, although we seldom buy much today. So, if we have any advice to a person thinking of retiring, it will always be, "Retire to something rather that from something,"
We started out doing antiques and ended up traveling full time. This past year we finally closed the business and sold all of our antique inventory. It was time, as doing shows was getting hard for us, and the bottom seemed to have fallen out of the antique business if you wanted to make a profit. However, the sixteen years that we were in the business were fascinating, and we never tired of buying or selling. We made some wonderful buys over the years and especially enjoyed finding new homes for the fun items we found. Some of the items were indeed one of a kind, and sometimes it was hard to part with when the time came and it was sold. We made our share of mistakes along the way and still own hundreds of commemorative plates that we bought before that market dried up completely. We started many collections, from cranberry glass to clocks, and when finally tired of them began to sell them off. Our nephews used to enjoy counting all the clocks in our house and quit when they discovered sixty or more just in the living room.
The best part of the business was the people we met along the way and the friendships formed. We still love to go to antique shows and see who is still in the business, although we seldom buy much today. So, if we have any advice to a person thinking of retiring, it will always be, "Retire to something rather that from something,"
Lessons Learned
Now that we have been retired for nearly twelve years, it is enjoyable to look back on our professional and personal lives and reflect on lessons learned.
On the professional level, teaching at any level is exciting, exasperating, fulfilling and a wonderful job. Your students continually surprise you with what gets them interested in the curriculum you present. They learn in unique ways and challenge you to help them meet their needs. You do not succeed with all students and mourn those you lose along the way. You do not always realize the ways that you touch their lives, and I am always surprised to discover something done that made a difference in the life of a student. The best thing you can do is to let one of your teachers know what a significant impact they made in your life. This is the type of reward that keeps teachers in the profession. While you will not get rich from teaching in a monetary way, when you realize the effect you have had on a student, no dollar amount could be put on such delight. Recently a good friend, Terry, commented to me on my type of school administration and how she and Toby utilize these methods in their careers. What a wonderful way to get to the top of cloud nine!
I could have been and considered training to be a physician, and I also considered the ministry. I quickly gave up the latter since I felt this old sinner would be too much for a pulpit, and God would cause the beams in the ceiling to loosen and rain down on my head, effectively ending my career. Being a bit of a coward where beams are concerned, I looked elsewhere for professional inspiration. I almost completed pre-med training, lacking only one course in comparative anatomy, when I realized that I did not want to work with sick people but indeed preferred working with young people in their process of getting an education. I never regretted this decision, but my home town doctor was disappointed, as he had brief hopes of me learning to be a doctor and maybe even replacing him one day. I was sorry to let him down but had to stick with my own desires. Besides, he probably never knew how much I disliked organic chemistry.
Personally, I learned that relationships can survive the loss of love but not the loss of love and trust. Relationships take work and nurturing. I wish I had listened to my heart and not rushed into an early marriage, except that three wonderful boys resulted. I hope that they can forgive our divorce and learn necessary lessons to make their own marriages successful. Hw2 and I are lucky to have found each other's soul mate and know that our relationship can survive until we leave this earth. It took lots of trials and searching, but we have each other and love our 'Brady Bunch family'. Somehow this brings to my mind, "Living well is the best reward."
On the professional level, teaching at any level is exciting, exasperating, fulfilling and a wonderful job. Your students continually surprise you with what gets them interested in the curriculum you present. They learn in unique ways and challenge you to help them meet their needs. You do not succeed with all students and mourn those you lose along the way. You do not always realize the ways that you touch their lives, and I am always surprised to discover something done that made a difference in the life of a student. The best thing you can do is to let one of your teachers know what a significant impact they made in your life. This is the type of reward that keeps teachers in the profession. While you will not get rich from teaching in a monetary way, when you realize the effect you have had on a student, no dollar amount could be put on such delight. Recently a good friend, Terry, commented to me on my type of school administration and how she and Toby utilize these methods in their careers. What a wonderful way to get to the top of cloud nine!
I could have been and considered training to be a physician, and I also considered the ministry. I quickly gave up the latter since I felt this old sinner would be too much for a pulpit, and God would cause the beams in the ceiling to loosen and rain down on my head, effectively ending my career. Being a bit of a coward where beams are concerned, I looked elsewhere for professional inspiration. I almost completed pre-med training, lacking only one course in comparative anatomy, when I realized that I did not want to work with sick people but indeed preferred working with young people in their process of getting an education. I never regretted this decision, but my home town doctor was disappointed, as he had brief hopes of me learning to be a doctor and maybe even replacing him one day. I was sorry to let him down but had to stick with my own desires. Besides, he probably never knew how much I disliked organic chemistry.
Personally, I learned that relationships can survive the loss of love but not the loss of love and trust. Relationships take work and nurturing. I wish I had listened to my heart and not rushed into an early marriage, except that three wonderful boys resulted. I hope that they can forgive our divorce and learn necessary lessons to make their own marriages successful. Hw2 and I are lucky to have found each other's soul mate and know that our relationship can survive until we leave this earth. It took lots of trials and searching, but we have each other and love our 'Brady Bunch family'. Somehow this brings to my mind, "Living well is the best reward."
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Valley High School
I had one evening's notice that I was to be transferred from being principal of the Evening School to Valley. Actually, the two principals involved swapped jobs, and I reported for duty on the first day of staff orientation. The fellow that I relieved, took all the school information with him and left me a bare office. For the next six months reports due to central office either were late or missing entirely since I had no material to work with. I gradually got adjusted and in the swim of things. Best of all ,I got to take my assistant principal, Peggy Piper, from the night school with me. While at the night school we had created an alternative program for ninth graders, and we were able to take that new program with us to Valley, as well with its director/teacher Eartha Lynn. In addition, I had an administrative trainee at an earlier school, and she was now an assistant principal at Valley. Leah Gutierrez was a wonderful assistant, and we worked together for thirteen of the fourteen years that I was employed in the Albuquerque Public Schools.
So, although it was quite a surprise to be at a different school, I quickly realized that there were significant challenges. Eighty percent of the students were members from one minority group or another with our primary group being Hispanic, falling into groups that could trace their ancestry in the area back over 300 years or more, along with recent arrivals from south of the border. Our other largest minority group consisted of native Americans. About 20 percent of the students were Anglo At best, maybe 20% of our graduates attended any college, and we had a terrible dropout rate and a significant gang problem. In spite of all this, the school community was very supportive, and the environment was a delight in which to work. The teachers were dedicated, and many had spent their entire career teaching at this school. My task was how to improve the education at Valley and build on the parts of our school that were working.
In 1989 the superintendent informed me of a possible grant program being established by the General Electric Foundation. We had a GE Aircraft Engines plant in Albuquerque, and this large corporation was interested in developing future engineers from minority student populations. We set up an in-house committee and began to flesh out a proposal that we could submit to the GE Foundation in hopes that it would get funded. The Foundation sent us Phyllis McGrath to help us with our proposal development. She was in charge of this grant program and led us through the components we needed to put in the proposal, as well as encouraged us to institute our own unique ideas. We faxed our completed proposal to the Foundation and held our collective breaths.
Some weeks later we received a call from Mrs. McGrath that Valley High School was the first school in the country selected to participate in the program, and we would receive a grant of $750,000 to be spent over the next five years. Our goal was to double the number of our graduates who attended college. How could we meet this goal? It seemed like an impossible task at the beginning. We formed the Valley Academy for students interested in helping us achieve this goal. Many of the ideas we had put forth worked or were modified, although some did not. The foundation through Mrs. McGrath always encouraged us to move forward and to experiment with new ideas. Around the second or third year of the program we met our goal, and by the time I retired, nearly 80% of our graduates were attending college. Many of our graduates took advanced placement courses in our school and arrived in college with their credits. Some of our students began college as sophomores. What exciting changes we observed!
So, although it was quite a surprise to be at a different school, I quickly realized that there were significant challenges. Eighty percent of the students were members from one minority group or another with our primary group being Hispanic, falling into groups that could trace their ancestry in the area back over 300 years or more, along with recent arrivals from south of the border. Our other largest minority group consisted of native Americans. About 20 percent of the students were Anglo At best, maybe 20% of our graduates attended any college, and we had a terrible dropout rate and a significant gang problem. In spite of all this, the school community was very supportive, and the environment was a delight in which to work. The teachers were dedicated, and many had spent their entire career teaching at this school. My task was how to improve the education at Valley and build on the parts of our school that were working.
In 1989 the superintendent informed me of a possible grant program being established by the General Electric Foundation. We had a GE Aircraft Engines plant in Albuquerque, and this large corporation was interested in developing future engineers from minority student populations. We set up an in-house committee and began to flesh out a proposal that we could submit to the GE Foundation in hopes that it would get funded. The Foundation sent us Phyllis McGrath to help us with our proposal development. She was in charge of this grant program and led us through the components we needed to put in the proposal, as well as encouraged us to institute our own unique ideas. We faxed our completed proposal to the Foundation and held our collective breaths.
Some weeks later we received a call from Mrs. McGrath that Valley High School was the first school in the country selected to participate in the program, and we would receive a grant of $750,000 to be spent over the next five years. Our goal was to double the number of our graduates who attended college. How could we meet this goal? It seemed like an impossible task at the beginning. We formed the Valley Academy for students interested in helping us achieve this goal. Many of the ideas we had put forth worked or were modified, although some did not. The foundation through Mrs. McGrath always encouraged us to move forward and to experiment with new ideas. Around the second or third year of the program we met our goal, and by the time I retired, nearly 80% of our graduates were attending college. Many of our graduates took advanced placement courses in our school and arrived in college with their credits. Some of our students began college as sophomores. What exciting changes we observed!
Unsettled years
The next ten or eleven years my life was unsettled. I tried marriage again, but it didn't really work since it was in many ways a repeat of the first one. So for many years, I remained single. I taught at the University of New Mexico for four years, San Diego State for one year and finally decided to return to the field of secondary education which was my love. The publish or perish atmosphere at the university level had little interest or value for me. I even wrote a book that no one ever read. I re-entered school administration on the Navajo Indian reservation as principal for elementary through high school and left there after a year as acting superintendent. I felt strongly that Native Americans should be administrators of their own schools and left that job with Native American administrative replacements.
The Albuquerque Public Schools hired me, and I completed the next fourteen years working in several capacities but always in administration. I helped open a new high school, which was a delightful challenge, and here I met HW2. We became good friends and several years later, married. My final administrative challenge was to be principal of Valley High School, a position I held longer than any other previous principal. This school was a school in crisis with a high dropout rate and a school shunned by neighborhood families. The changes that occurred at this school were to prove to be the high point of my entire career in education and deserve a section in their own right.
The Albuquerque Public Schools hired me, and I completed the next fourteen years working in several capacities but always in administration. I helped open a new high school, which was a delightful challenge, and here I met HW2. We became good friends and several years later, married. My final administrative challenge was to be principal of Valley High School, a position I held longer than any other previous principal. This school was a school in crisis with a high dropout rate and a school shunned by neighborhood families. The changes that occurred at this school were to prove to be the high point of my entire career in education and deserve a section in their own right.
Tucson
In 1967 we moved from Hawaii to Tucson, and I began my doctoral studies in mathematics. I quickly realized that I didn't want to become a research mathematician and especially after being exposed to Housdorf Spaces was absolutely sure, since I never really understood what they were talking about. So, I changed majors to Educational Administration and Curriculum Development and decided I had better quit the role of full time student and get a real job. I became curriculum coordinator and high school principal of The Green Fields School, and we began to extend the school to include a four year high school. I also taught math and physics. In my spare time I continued to take graduate courses summers and evenings at the University of Arizona.
After three years at Green Fields, I returned full time to the University to be a graduate assistant in secondary education and later worked in the office of accreditation. I finally finished my doctorate and stayed working at the university for a total of six years. Finally deciding that it would be hard to get promoted at the university where I had graduated, I looked for another job and was hired to teach at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. So after nine years in Tucson we moved again.
My eighteen year marriage fell apart and my ex -wife returned to Tucson where she continued her graduate studies. This was not a happy time in my life for all of the obvious reasons.
After three years at Green Fields, I returned full time to the University to be a graduate assistant in secondary education and later worked in the office of accreditation. I finally finished my doctorate and stayed working at the university for a total of six years. Finally deciding that it would be hard to get promoted at the university where I had graduated, I looked for another job and was hired to teach at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. So after nine years in Tucson we moved again.
My eighteen year marriage fell apart and my ex -wife returned to Tucson where she continued her graduate studies. This was not a happy time in my life for all of the obvious reasons.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Hawaii, Here We Come!
After a year studying mathematics at Cornell and Albany and finishing both degrees, it seemed like a good time to evaluate where we might like to settle down and teach. After much discussion we decided to apply to teach at a school in Hawaii. The headmaster of the Iolani School interviewed me while I was at Cornell and offered me a position to teach mathematics and physics, and I accepted. We packed up the car and loaded in our son Jerry, age two, and took off on a 2-3 week cross country trip and vacation. We left our car with Cornell friends in San Francisco and then flew to Honolulu to teach in an Episcopalian private boys school, the Iolani School for boys. About a month later our car arrived by boat, and we settled in to live in our school apartment on the school grounds. The parents of these boys paid high tuition to have their sons in a college prep school, and most of the students graduated with college credit from taking advanced placement courses in high school. All the graduates attended college, and the teaching environment was wonderful. I never had one discipline problem in my years there.
It was like teaching in a dream vacation spot. In 1959, Hawaii became the 49th state to join the union, and we moved there five years later. We could go to the beach to watch the sun go down and barbeque something to eat on our small hibachi grill. We could swim at the school pool on weekends or go to the beaches for body surfing. Gradually, in our free time we explored Oahu and other islands as well. During our time there we had many friends and family visit, including my grandmother who flew there for her first time in an airplane. She loved it and had the time of her life.
After two years at Iolani I was accepted to study one summer at the University of Colorado and to participate in an Engineering Concepts Curriculum Project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. I always thought they picked me so that supervisors and developers of the program could visit Hawaii. After that summer I taught this new curriculum to Iolani seniors and graduate students at the University of Hawaii. This whetted my appetite for more graduate studies, and I applied and was accepted by the University of Arizona for doctoral studies in mathematics. So after a three year vacation in paradise and with the addition of two more boys to our growing family, we moved to Tucson, Arizona. The happy wanderer continues!
It was like teaching in a dream vacation spot. In 1959, Hawaii became the 49th state to join the union, and we moved there five years later. We could go to the beach to watch the sun go down and barbeque something to eat on our small hibachi grill. We could swim at the school pool on weekends or go to the beaches for body surfing. Gradually, in our free time we explored Oahu and other islands as well. During our time there we had many friends and family visit, including my grandmother who flew there for her first time in an airplane. She loved it and had the time of her life.
After two years at Iolani I was accepted to study one summer at the University of Colorado and to participate in an Engineering Concepts Curriculum Project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. I always thought they picked me so that supervisors and developers of the program could visit Hawaii. After that summer I taught this new curriculum to Iolani seniors and graduate students at the University of Hawaii. This whetted my appetite for more graduate studies, and I applied and was accepted by the University of Arizona for doctoral studies in mathematics. So after a three year vacation in paradise and with the addition of two more boys to our growing family, we moved to Tucson, Arizona. The happy wanderer continues!
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