NEA: NEA Today November 2004

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November 2004

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It's a Twister!

"The first thing I thought was that I was just so thankful we didn't have any kids in the building at the time," says Phil Severson, reflecting on the tornado that ravaged his school in May. "The second thing I thought was, how the hell am I going to get out of here!"

Photos by Ted Kirk

It was 8:40 p.m. and Severson, an eighth-grade math teacher at Norris Middle School in Firth, Nebraska, was in his classroom working on his year-end grades. Suddenly, he heard glass shatter. A tornado had struck his school, and he was the only one in the building. Fortunately, the previous day had been the last day of school for the district.

"My room is an interior classroom, so I have no windows, except on the door," says Severson. "I went to the inner wall of the room and sat and waited. I think it lasted about a minute, although it felt a lot longer."

When Severson finally navigated his way out of his classroom to survey the scene, he saw debris everywhere. He also happened upon residents from a neighboring town who had been caught in the storm on their drive home. Severson led them back to the safety of his classroom where they waited out another storm warning.

The middle school, neighboring elementary and high schools, and outdoor facilities sustained millions of dollars in damages. But the community united, and about 1,400 people came out on the designated clean-up days to fix up the schools.

Although rebuilding will take time, school officials started the new school year in early September, just a few weeks after the scheduled start date. The school is using portable classrooms until construction is complete, sometime in November. Meanwhile, Severson is hoping that this school year will be a little less eventful.

—Emily Goodman

Something To Say

Growing up, Alice Faye Duncan loved to read and write. "I fell in love with the idea of being the next Lorraine Hansberry," she confesses.

Photo by Michael Smith

An award-winning children's book author and school librarian, Duncan is on her way to achieving her goal. Her first book, The National Civil Rights Museum Celebrates Everyday People, won a Notable Book Award. It was followed by Willie Jerome, which received a Reading Rainbow Award, and Miss Viola and Uncle Ed Lee, a critical success and a favorite with readers. Her most recent work, Honey Baby Sugar Child, will be in print early next year.

They're successes that would make anyone proud, but what really tickles Duncan is when her high school students tell her they first fell in love with her books in elementary school. Duncan uses her work to teach these aspiring young writers and poets at Middle College High School in Memphis, Tennessee, about the art of writing. "It's especially important for children to read more poetry," says Duncan. "Poetry helps facilitate reading, writing, and learning in general."

The inspiration for the poetic Honey Baby Sugar Child came to Duncan through a conversation with a friend about her friend's love for her grandchildren. "The little girls in my neighborhood used to say 'honey baby sugar child' when they wanted you to take special heed of what they had to say," recalls Duncan. "I couldn't think of a better phrase to describe a mother's emphatic love for her child." Duncan, who is hard at work on her next book, Christmas Soup, makes author visits and conducts literacy workshops for teachers across the country.

—Vanessa St. Leger

A Vintage Campaign

John McIntyre isn't one to sit around. Last year, after retiring from teaching, the wine enthusiast landed a job with great perks when he started working at a friend's wine boutique in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Photo by Dave Eggen

This year, McIntyre will indulge another passion when he hits the campaign trail in his bid for a state Senate seat.

If McIntyre's track record holds, it will be a tightrope race. He ran twice for the state House of Representatives and, incredibly, tied his opponent each time after recounts and appeals were completed. The races were decided by the House, with McIntyre being awarded one election and his opponent the other.

Explaining his decision to run again, McIntyre says that campaigning "gets in one's blood." He maintains he's the best candidate for the job because he has the ears of people who need his assistance, and as a former middle school counselor, he has experience in solving problems. "I'm able to listen to people and I can help them come together," he says of the skills he's learned through teaching. In fact, McIntyre hopes his run for office will encourage more educators to be politically active. He's already hired several teachers to help operate his own campaign.

If elected, McIntyre hopes to revisit many issues he considers unsatisfactory in the state's current political system, including minimum wage and health insurance. Planning to take time off from the winery, McIntyre is prepared to make South Dakota his top priority.

—Vanessa St. Le