School's Out

When I first met my husband, he was a college dropout working as a supervisor in a steel mill. Thirty-eight years later, he has a master’s degree and a plus thirty* and has just retired after 21 years of teaching.

Roland worked in the mill for 20 years before following his heart back to college and into teaching. (He actually worked there for 16 years but got credit for his four years in the Navy.) Then he threw himself into his chosen second career.

The picture was taken at Roland’s college graduation in 1992. He substituted for a year before accepting a teaching position at East Chicago Central High School.

In his first years at Central, Roland taught both World and U.S. History and an occasional Economics class. More recently, he has concentrated on AP and honors U.S. History courses. He has also won his share of teaching awards, which include an Outstanding Educator award from the University of Chicago, a Teacher of Excellence Award from the East Chicago Education Foundation, and three Distinguished Teacher awards.

Maybe you can tell that I’m proud of him.

Now Roland’s life is changing yet again. And because he’ll be home more, mine will change, too.

He hasn’t mapped out his new course yet, but he will.

May it be a happy retirement.

__________

* For the non-teachers among us, a plus thirty is thirty hours of graduate credits beyond the master’s degree, which brings a step up in pay.