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Getting to know your IASA Membership
and Communications Committee Members
Al Gegenheimer
Three Rivers Region
School district:
Minooka
Community Consolidated School
District 201
One thing you would like
people to know about your
school district:
We have been honored as a
“Bright Star Award” winning
district. This prestigious award
goes to districts whose students
score in the top 1/3 of their state, yet spend in the
bottom 1/4. Less than 10 percent of the schools in
the nation receive this award.
Years as educator:
32 years
High school:
Minooka Community High School
Colleges or Universities:
University of St. Francis,
Governor’s State, & Illinois State
Family
: Wife, Pam, and three adult children: Allison,
Amelia, and Russell.
Favorite hobby
: Golf,
bicycling, my family, and
entertaining our granddaughter!
Favorite movie:
It’s a Wonderful Life
!
Favorite book:
As a child
Johnny Tremain
by Ester
Forbes. A more recent favorite is the entire
Harry
Potter
series.
Favorite musical artist:
As a young man my
favorite groups were The Beatles, Yes, Alan Parson’s
Project, Beach Boys, Jethro Tull, etc. Today, I like
Pharrell Williams (maker of the song “Happy”).
One thing people probably would be surprised to
know about you:
Neither of my parents graduated
from high school.
Biggest concern about public education:
The
attack of public schools from special interest groups
(business people, politicians, and the media). Truly,
our teachers today have a greater understanding and
are far better skilled to assist learning (children) than
ever before. There is as much or more evidenced
based data and research to help us understand how
and why children (people) think and learn than any
other scientific field (including medicine).
Unfortunately, I fear due to the mandates that
teachers “feel” so much pressure, that it is easy for
them to “forget” to enjoy their experience with the
young people they serve. I do believe that “Public
Education” is the one place where all children have a
chance to succeed, but it is unrealistic to believe it is
the cure for all of society’s ills.
Most encouraging thing about public education:
It
is stated above. Today, teachers are far better skilled
at the science of teaching and learning. My fear
relates to a quote that was written on the front of my
employee folder my very first year teaching. It said,
“They may not remember everything we taught them,
but they will surely remember how we treated them!”
Joe Burgess
Kishwaukee Region
School district:
Genoa-Kingston CUSD 424
One thing you would like people to know about
your school district:
Being a “Cog” means having
pride in all that you do.
Years as educator:
32
High school:
Knoxville High School “Home of the
Blue Bullets”
Colleges or Universities:
Monmouth College,
Western Illinois University, Illinois State University
Family:
Wife of 32 years– Kathy, sons-Joe III (wife
Corey & Granddaughter - Brylee) and Michael,
Daughter-Amie
Favorite hobby:
Outdoor activities: hiking, hunting
or gardening.
Favorite movie:
Remember
the Titans
Favorite book:
Lincoln on
Leadership
Favorite musical artist
:
Johnny Cash
One thing people probably
would be surprised to know
about you:
I have an
extensive background in construction and carpentry.
Biggest concern about public education:
The
unrelenting list of mandates from legislation that
negatively impacts student learning and undercuts
our educators.
Most encouraging thing about public education:
Our students, they are why we do what we do each
day!