To Retire or Not To Retire

Because I retired earlier than most, I have become a go-to guy on retirement for others. They ask about what I am doing in retirement (anything I like) and if I like it (I love it). What they are really asking is, should they retire? I can’t answer that question. I can provide some information about my retirement, but I am not sure how much that will help others make a very personal decision. 

I always tell them that my retirement date was pretty much set in 1986 when I started teaching. Of course, I had to choose to retire, but the basic structure of my retirement was built into my job. 

From the moment I started teaching, people were talking about retirement. Most of the teachers at my school were old enough to be my parents when I arrived. It took a few years before there were five or six of us under thirty! We would roll our eyes as these old fogies would go on and on about retirement. It was so far away and we were so tired of hearing about it. During my first decade of teaching, the State of Illinois had a retirement incentive and large numbers of teachers retired. 

A teacher only gets paid for nine or ten months of the year. My wife and I had to stretch our money over summers every year. I believe that summers, both having no classes and having to work within a narrow budget, were great preparation for retirement. We did this for more than thirty years, so by the time retirement rolled around, we knew the drill. 

We also had wonderful retirement mentors. Many of our friends who retired before helped prepare us. They played the role of big siblings and coached us through our final few years. I remember a wonderful drive with a retired teacher. She talked about how, now that she was retired, she was no longer a teacher. She had stopped coaching and her children were grown up, so she wasn’t a coach or a parent, either. Who was she? She asked questions that hadn’t even appeared on my radar. As she shared her experiences, she provided me (and my wife) with plenty to consider as we moved toward retirement. I am happy to help people think through these retirement questions. That may be the best service I can provide. 

Thinking creatively about retirement early is my biggest piece of advice. Diving into retirement without any preparation feels like a belly flop into an unheated pool. Boom and ouch! I made a list of “In retirement, I might…” on my phone.  As I talked to people and went about my day, I made notes about things that I might like to do if I had more time or flexibility. Some were very concrete: take guitar lessons. Some were more a reflection of my working life: have a slower morning. Some were things I could never do on a school schedule: visit my children on their birthdays. I still have this list and I still add to and remove from it. It is not a contract. It is a set of “maybes” and possibilities. 

Just as seniors in high school or college often dislike that, “What are you going to do next year?” question, people peppered me with the “What are your retirement plans?” question. I knew a teacher who answered, “Move my house one inch to the right.” I told people that I was going to take a gap year or two (or more). I gave myself permission to explore, experiment, and see what worked (or didn’t). I had promised myself that I was not going to make any long-term commitments for my first years of retirement. 

I did end up substitute teaching briefly and, although it was nice to be back in the classroom and with my friends, it reinforced to me that I was ready to try other things. I was glad I did it because it validated my desire to go in a new direction. 

Of course, retirement is a financial decision, too. Some of us are lucky enough to have pensions. Some of us have been great planners and have ample retirement savings. Some of us need to figure out how to make ends meet. I met with the great folks at the Illinois Teachers Retirement System, so I knew exactly what my resources would be. 

I am happy to talk about retirement. I am delighted to share my five years of retirement experience. I love being retired – and my circumstances may not apply to everyone. I recommend retirement. I like it. I think many others will like it, too. I fear that there are far too many people who will never get to experience it and that is unfortunate. Don’t write it off. Consider it. Plan for it. Imagine it. Find folks who will help you see what your retirement might be – I am happy to be one of them! 

Good Riddence to the 2021-2022 School Year

I dreamed last night that I was visiting my old school on the last day of the year. I dreamed that I was going through offices and classrooms, wishing people well, and meeting new staff members. We joked and hugged and laughed and were all dressed in Halloween costumes. I dreamed that things were just as I left them, but different and better.

But that isn’t the school at which my friends and former co-workers teach. That isn’t the reality of education at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. That was my dream (really), but the truth is that my friends are survivors of a disaster. They end this year with anxiety, anger, frustration, grief, pain, and lots of tears. 

And it shouldn’t be this way. 

Teachers, Counselors, and other school staff are asked to carry it all. They are simultaneously hailed as heroes who will save, protect, and sacrifice for their students with opportunities and weapons and love and knowledge, and then derided as groomers and political opportunists, lazy slackers, and self-serving conspiracy puppets. When it serves the sound bite, they are the saviors of society and when it fits the narrative, they are taking our children into an uncomfortable world of race, gender, and masks. 

And it is too much. 

My colleagues have been carrying the pandemic. Their mantra has been “We’ll make it work,” and “We do what’s best for kids.” They have been performing a high wire acrobatic juggling. Sometimes, their administrators and school boards, and communities have stood by their sides and provided a net. But just as often, those who should be their allies have turned on them and thrown them flaming torches and shaken the tent, threatening to bring the entire circus crashing to the ground in flames and flesh. 

And teachers are exhausted. 

So as the end of the school year approaches, as summer rounds the corner, kids are fidgeting in their seats, and classrooms start to smell of sweat and cut grass, as the looming grading deadlines feel like Kuber-Ross’s stages, let us bid a not so fond goodbye bye to this disaster of a school year. 

Of course, we wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating summer, time with your family, and time to yourself. We wish you health, which has been Sisyphean these past two years.

And we thank you. 

I am not sure I know how to do this. As a retired teacher who left just before the sky fell, I can only half imagine what these years have felt like. For the first time, I have heard several school friends say to me, "I hate working here." As a supporter on the side, I have seen the disrespect and destruction, heard the yelling, and unbelievable thoughtlessness. Alice had it far easier. I felt both guilty that it was you and relief that it wasn’t me and anguish it was happening. People say to me every day – every.single.day – that I “got out at the right time.” I wish you could join me. Right now. 

And we should be concerned that you will. 

Teachers are leaving in droves. They watch their friends and colleagues of decades marching toward the cliff’s edge and feel the pull of gravity. Wonderful, inspiring, passionate professionals are packing their classrooms for the last time right now. As the lockers slam and the sneakers squeak down the hall, they are crying with relief and shame. Accountants are not asked to kill themselves for taxes, but sometimes healthcare folks are. 

And our teachers. 

This is not an exaggeration. I have heard a call for a student strike in the fall. What if students said, “We aren’t going back to our classrooms until it we are safe from gun terrorists.” What if parents said that?  What if teachers, across this nation, said, we will not conduct another active shooter drill until lawmakers stop the senseless stream of school shootings! 

So hear me clearly. Hear it from a retired veteran teacher: Teachers, you have been outstanding. You have made critical differences in children’s lives. You have nurtured, challenged, enriched, advocated – and educated. You have fought the good fight – over and over and over and over. What you have done matters and will continue to matter, even if you are no longer doing it. 

And now it is your time. 

Some of you will return to the classroom in the fall. Some of you will retire. Some of you will watch the stream of buses and kids with backpacks and step out of the line. Some of you will place your own children at the front and focus there. 

And that is okay.

The last bell is ringing. It brings relief and intense sorrow. Set down the load. Rest. Hold yourself and your loved ones. You have been through a war and, although it is not over, we are hoping for a few months of cease-fire. Go to your bunker. Hug your people. Cry. Unload. Recover. 

And this summer – and all that comes after it – do what heals and helps you. 

My Comments at the Township High School District 113 Meeting Discussing Budget Issues and Consolidation of the High Schools

Here is what I said to the Township High School District 113 Board at the meeting on October 19 regarding budget issues and possible consolidation of Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools. I have also included the video of the entire meeting below if you want to hear the entire meeting. 

Good evening.  I am David Hirsch. I joined the District 113 family in 1986 when I was hired to teach theatre and English. I met my wife at DHS and our two children went first to Deerpark and then returned as DHS students. 

The district had inspiring leadership in my first decades: Jim Warren, Linda Hanson, and Anne Reibock held the same value that was repeated constantly: first and foremost, we do what is best for kids. 

I am here to ask the board of education to make doing what is best for the children of District 113 the most important criteria when making all decisions, but especially when talking about consolidating schools, calling for referendums, and dealing with difficult and painful budget issues. 

In education, smaller is better: smaller class sizes, smaller schools, smaller systems. We want our students to be seen, known, and get what they need – before they have to scream for it. We want our schools to be supportive, nurturing, and safe communities. 

One more thing: I am a 1982 graduate of New Trier High School. Mine was the first class after New Triers East and West merged. I participated in the consolidation of the two schools. It may have saved money, but it was not what was best for kids. 

Four years after I graduated high school, I taught at a DHS that had fewer students than my entire New Trier class. Students thrived! Kids were on sports teams and in theatre. Leadership opportunities abounded. Students and staff knew each other even when they didn’t share classes or activities. There was a tight and supportive safety net below every child. 

During that time, our board of education and administration made choices, sometimes difficult and expensive choices, to do what was best for kids – FIRST! 

So tonight, I am asking three things of you: 

First, put the best interests of our children ahead of all other concerns. All decisions must pass the “is this what is best for our children?” test.  If the answer is anything other than a clear and resounding yes, then please find another way. 

Second, clearly and definitively take a stand that consolidating the two schools is NOT good for kids and unequivocally state that no such plans will move forward. 

Third, closely collaborate with your best resource for doing what is best for kids: your staff. The board of education, administration, faculty, and staff must be trusting allies, not adversaries. 

This collaboration has not been nurtured. Jim, Linda, and Anne were experts at bringing everyone together. They were dynamic and skilled teachers, administrators, and team builders. They are the reason we are the only non-union high school district in Illinois. We need that kind of leadership now. 

Glynis and I did not want our children to be swallowed by Stevenson or get lost at New Trier. We loved what we saw where we worked and we wanted it for our children – and yours. 

Do what’s best for kids. Strongly reject consolidation. Engage and embrace your staff as partners. 

Thank you. 

Graduation Was Different This Year

The graduation venue was not the beautiful concert hall in the park this year. It was scheduled to be on the athletic field, but the cold and rain forced it into the gym. And while the musicians were recorded and the graduates masked, many of the traditions were maintained, translated, or acknowledged. 

Graduation was different this year. 

People were missing, not only because the venue was smaller and each student was only permitted two tickets, but because some of the graduates, for a variety of reasons, could not attend. Some family members could not attend, and some family members were present only in memory. It had been a year when the flag was always at half-mast. Many faculty members were not present. They usually greet the graduates in their academic robes. The CDC said that an indoor group gathering like this is safe if vaccinated and unvaccinated people are masked, but even so, not everyone was willing or able to participate. Still, the ceremony was streamed live, so people could watch from afar. 

I greeted my former students and colleagues as the kids lined up for the processional. It was good to see students and staff after a year of pandemic winter. Even if it didn’t feel like spring outside, smiles shined through the masks. 

I don’t think students have ever hugged me like they did at graduation this year. No one asked if I was vaccinated (I am). The physical contact was initially surprising and then oddly comforting. My students haven’t seen me not only due to the pandemic but because I retired after their sophomore year. I had stayed in touch and visited before school closed. I promised them that I would attend their graduation and celebrate with them. However, the pandemic changed what we were celebrating. This was more than a culmination of high school. This was more than the traditional commencement. 

Graduation was different this year. 

Seeing people on screens, video chats, social media, email, and text is not a replacement for sharing the air, space, and time together. Some of my students were surprised to see me. I emailed them a congratulatory note a week prior. Our relationship had survived the distance. 

Sometimes, when I am talking to my family on the phone or chatting over a video call, I feel unsatisfied. I want more than I can get from the voice and image. Yet, talking and even seeing my child on the screen isn’t enough. What a needy parent I must be. Last year’s graduation, and my son’s college graduation, were entirely on the screen and that had to be enough. They were still unsatisfying. 

Graduation was different this year. 

The power of our presence, the thirst for each other’s company, the relief, and the release of the suppressed burden of worry, solitude, and powerlessness was almost physically expelled. Every year, I am always keenly aware that, at graduation and during the last weeks of school, I may never see these students again. That is the nature of being a teacher. These relationships are on a limited lease. 

Graduation was different this year. 

Graduations in the past felt promised. Only students who misbehave are denied graduation and only for the grossest of offenses. Gathering this year was an act of acrobatic contortions and then, thanks to weather and circumstance, a marathon of adaptations. Yet, there we were, surrounded by each other. 

I am not a fan of whooping and cheering after a student’s name is read. I worry that, when a mortarboard is thrown in the air, it will hit someone. I have been an outspoken proponent of a dignified and orderly graduation. 

Graduation was different this year. 

We all cheered! Hats flew! Every speaker was on the verge of tears and made no attempt to hide it. It was like exhaling after a long time underwater, reassurance from the doctor, the reunion at the airport; there is a future, we will be alright, and people I have been holding in my heart are here in front of me. 

I hope that the graduation of the class of 2021 is unique. I hope we never experience another like it. It was exhausting and exhilarating, and I am eager to go back to the regularly scheduled dignified ceremony. 

Graduation was different this year. 

We needed it more. I hope we don’t have that need again. I hope this year’s graduation can sustain us and remind us of the power of our presence, the coming together of community, and the essential nature of a gathered community. 

I am so grateful to the school staff members who made graduation happen despite roadblocks, potholes, breakdowns, and storms. Once again, the school is the heart of our community; it nurtured our children and helped heal even this old retired teacher’s heavy heart. 

All Tricks, No Tweets: Looking Back at The School Year

At this time of year, I often the tweets from my classes as a way of summarizing the school year. However, I gradually realized that the way I was using Twitter was not effective and my classes and I stopped tweeting mid-year.

So I need another way to look back at the 2013-2014 school year and reflect. As the second week of summer break ends, I have the distance to look back and evaluate this year.

My daughter left for Africa just as the school year was starting. I was anxious and excited for her. Until she returned, I was not aware how those feelings weighed on me like thirty extra pounds.

It was hot when school started, and the heat didn’t leave. My three Freshman English classes (yes, three of them – that is probably a stressor, too) were in two different classrooms. One of these was so hot we started meeting in an air-conditioned science lab instead.

In early September, Chromebooks came to my classes! I had to figure out how to integrate them into our learning. The kids and I tried various strategies. It was clear that planning for Chromebooks took much more time. It took more than a month to discover approaches that worked. Although I spent the year adjusting and refining our use of Chromebooks, the first quarter was by far the most difficult.

In October, my daughter called at 6am to tell me there had been a terrorist attack at the shopping mall less than two kilometers from her apartment. That was when I started getting less sleep. Fortunately, that gave me more time to do the additional planning that Chromebooks required.

It was around that time that the behavioral issues in my last period class became problematic. One student would sabotage other students’ performances. Some students held it together all day long and, by last period, had no glue left. I had some very young and some very needy students. It was a less-than-perfect storm. I created some strong management structures to help them focus.

There were wonderful movements and it did get easier. The Chromebooks are very positive additions to the classroom. My classes were filled with great kids! Our wonderful teacher from the Czech Republic was a fantastic addition to our narrow Deerfield world.  My daughter came back to the states. We established a Chromebook routine.

Winter came, and we had more snow days than ever before. Earlier we were too hot. Now were too cold and there was a ton of snow. The schedule became a challenge when we missed a day, part of a day, or had to put a day back into the schedule!

Spring is always stressful, but it was more so this year. As kids register, courses fill or are dropped, and teachers receive their assignments. The quality of a year is strongly influenced by these decisions. The overall process was more painful and problematic than it has ever been in my twenty-eight years in the district. There were meetings upon meetings. Jobs were cut and then some reinstated. Courses were cut and some were brought back and some were combined. When I asked if we could get an outline of the process and the criteria by which these decisions were made, I was told it was not possible. No wonder our district is currently in turmoil.

Now it is summer, and I look toward next year. This cyclical process is one of the wonderful things about being a teacher. I get to try again. I get to expand on my successes and have another chance at my challenges. I do school planning in little bites each day. I spent an hour or so scheduling, reading, and of course, reflecting on how to make next year better.

Next year will be better. Next year is almost always better. And knowing about the bumps and bright spots from this year gives me even more tools to make 2014-2015, my twenty-ninth year at Deerfield High School, the best year yet.

Yes is the Responsible Vote in 113

There is no convincing some people that our aging high schools need help. While we can debate the finer points of the plan, the key issues are simple: Are we willing to spend a little to make sure our kids can learn in a healthy and modern environment? Is it important that our community schools are technologically up-to-date?

Since the referendum of 2011, the district has involved hundreds of community members and held scores of meetings to discuss this plan. Developed through a highly inclusive and participatory process, this plan is a collaboration and a compromise. Those who do not like this plan might not like any plan. Click here to see an analysis of the “plan” the opposition thinks is better.

There are plenty of myths and misinformation about this referendum. It is very important that we look closely at the claims from those who say that they are putting education first. Here is an article that addresses some of these misconceptions.  

The infrastructure of our high school is like an old car. In my family, we try to keep our cars as long as possible. We take good care of them, and drive them as long as we can. However, there comes a point where the increasing frequency and cost of repairs and maintenance is not the best use of our money. When a car starts to need lots of expensive repairs, it is time to invest in a new one. When we purchase a new vehicle, we use a combination of savings and loaned funds.

This referendum is the most fiscally responsible way to address our aging buildings. We have taken very good care of these buildings for a long time. But it is not cost effective to keep repairing systems installed decades ago. The district is proposing a combination of reserve funds and bonds to pay these costs. We should not let our school district drain its reserves completely. Would you go bankrupt to buy your new car?

And, as both sides of the debate have noted, the issues won’t go away. What happens if you wait too long to replace that old car? Sometimes, you get stranded when the car breaks down. Do we want our kids in schools with broken heating and cooling systems? Sometimes, we have to spend money to repair old systems because we don’t have the funds to replace them. But that is not the best use of our funds. Do we want to throw away money putting band-aids on old equipment we should replace?  Do we pay more to maintain obsolete systems when we could equip our students with up-to-date computers and educational technology?   

For a small amount of money, we can make a significant improvement in the way our schools feel and function. My yearly tax increase will be about the same amount I pay for one month for cable television!

To deny the needs of Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools is to live in an irresponsible past. To oppose this referendum is to sacrifice the critical long-term needs of our children and communities in order to save a few bucks now and pay much more later.

I have lived in District 113 for over twenty-five years. I am the parent of a current Deerfield High School student and a recent graduate. This referendum is about the safety and well being of all of our children and the future of our community. This referendum is critical to maintaining an excellent educational experience and ensuring that everyone who uses our high schools is safe, healthy, and in the twenty first century! I urge you to vote YES! 

Yes is Best in 113!

Although I have strong political beliefs, I am usually reluctant to share them. I avoid lawn signs and do not often advertise my support of candidates or causes. However, I have taught in the community for twenty-five years and lived here for almost as long, and the health and well being of our schools and community is very important to me. Recently, the question I receive almost everywhere I go is what do I think about the District 113 referendum.

Here is the very short answer: I support the referendum.

Here is the short reason why: Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools are light years behind all other area schools in both technology and physical education facilities. Our buildings are aging and need significant improvement. Our pools are becoming unsafe and, at times, unusable. And if we do not make these improvements now, we will have to address them later and it will be at a higher cost to both taxpayers and kids. And we can do all this without increasing taxes!

Here is the longer answer:

Deerfield and Highland Park’s athletic facilities are some of the worst in the area. Our track kids are running through the hallways after school. Our soccer, baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, and other teams are often unable to use their fields. We do not have enough gym space for classes or athletic practices. Why would someone purchase a home in our district when our neighbors have far superior facilities (especially if athletics or technology are very important to his/her child)?

Deerfield and Highland Park are far behind in technology. Our wireless system at DHS cannot keep up with the demand. There is not enough access to computer labs and our computer equipment is aging and out of date.

Classrooms at Deerfield are poorly heated and most are not air-conditioned. Classrooms can get into the 90s in the fall and spring. Teachers in various areas of the building are experiencing various forms of work place related illnesses. The building’s infrastructure needs significant improvement.

Although low interest rates are bad for our bank accounts, they are good for loans. The district is trying to take advantage of these rates to make these improvements at the lowest cost. Many of these issues will have to be addressed eventually. Where will that money come from? If the referendum does not pass, then many pressing needs will not be met and our students will have to live with leaky roofs, poor ventilation and out dated technology, not to mention inadequate athletic facilities. And if we are eventually able to address these needs, the costs of labor and materials will be significantly higher. We will leave it to the students to bear the burden if the referendum is not passed.

This referendum will not increase our taxes. The bond from the prior capital improvement is scheduled to expire and this referendum would replace it and taxes would remain the same. In other words, with no additional expense, the kids and communities benefit greatly!

Here is a link that will give you some more information and a video tour of both buildings:

http://dist113.org/community/fac_tech/Pages/default.aspx

Voting for this referendum is in everyone’s best interest. It is good for taxpayers, students, parents, and the community at large. If you are trying to sell your home, it will make it more attractive. If your children are coming to the high school, it will improve their experience. If we do this later, it will cost more. Please vote “yes” for the referendum on April 5th.

Politics or Basketball

As a District 113 parent and teacher, the national media attention regarding Highland Park High School’s girls’ basketball team hits close to home. The questions seem to be: should the team be allowed to play in a tournament in Arizona? Was this choice a political statement or a means to protect children?

Why does a coach or teacher take a group out of town in the first place? Is a plane ride to Arizona going to provide a better basketball experience than one that requires a bus ride? As with all educational activities, educators choose the best options to meet their learning targets. Whether it is a trip to China, Indianapolis, or Disney World, the choice should be in the best educational interests of the students. Yes, this is a basketball team not a class. However, all school activities must have educational worth. As many people will attest, significant learning occurs through participation in athletics.

Taking a group of students out of town is a big deal. Guiding a large group through the airport, managing tickets, medicines, permission slips, and personalities makes trips like this tournament a logistical challenge. The costs add another layer to the complexity. Trips like the proposed Arizona tournament can put financial strain on families.

Why pick Arizona or any other tournament? Why reject it? What are the criteria? The coach must consider the logistics: can families afford to pay the necessary costs? Can we get there and back in time? There are always alternatives: is Arizona a better tournament than any others? What makes one tournament better?

Certainly the level of competition and opportunities for learning should be foremost factors in making this choice. The trip should be attractive to students and it should be worth their time and money to go. Like any other learning activity, it should be a match for the needs and skills of the students.

Are there any factors that would disqualify a choice? Some locations are very expensive. I am concerned when the costs of school sponsored trips become so expensive that they seem to be only for wealthier families. Even with scholarship money, fund raising revenues and educational discounts, it is hard to justify huge price tags for experiences like these trips.

Safety is a key issue too. No school group should go to places that are on the State Department’s travel advisory list. I would wonder about any “extreme adventure” travel destinations with young people. Safety also has different meanings depending on the age of the students. Issues regarding alcohol and other substances must be taken into account.

What if a location is inappropriate or uncomfortable for some students in the group? When I teach a book that deals with a specific social group or issue, I try to be aware of students for whom this topic is personal. No book or travel destination is the be all and end all. There are always alternatives.

Should an educator pick a travel destination that puts a student at potential risk? All travel involves some form of risk. Where is the line? On the continuum, I would want my children going on trips with the least possible risk. If an alterative exists that makes the trip more safe and comfortable for even one child without harming the others, why not take that alterative?

Would any of the players on the Highland Park girls’ basketball team be at risk in Arizona? Would they feel uncomfortable or feel anxious there? Would their families have worries, concerns, or misgivings about the trip? Should the coach and the district take any of these issues into account when choosing where to go?

If there is a suitable alterative to Arizona, why not go there? If the team can have as good an experience, and learn and play together in a place that does not pose these issues, wouldn’t that be a better choice?

Being a good teacher means taking good care of all students. Anxious kids don’t learn well. Distracted and worried kids don’t perform well in the classroom or on the court. Being a responsible educator means making sure kids are in an environment where learning- and playing basketball- can be the primary focus.

Many have been debating if it is appropriate for a school to make a political statement with a trip like this. School representatives have stated that their decision was not politically motivated. Politics have stolen the ball. The team and its needs should be the subject of the debate. If the debate over the Arizona location has shifted the focus that far off the court, then it is clearly not the best choice for these young people and this school.