It Was a Slow News Day

Mary D. and the reading committee decided this reading challenge needed publicity. The local radio station was contacted, as was the newspaper. In addition every television station from Peoria to Champaign was contacted about the event. They asked the Irving Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for help as well. I contacted our maintenance staff to see if they could put a desk on the roof. They took it even further.

I could easily reach the roof through a learning center window, but I thought we should have a little more drama. I told Nancy, our custodian, I wanted to climb a ladder in front of the students. She ordered an extension ladder that would reach the roof from the front playground.

On the afternoon before  the event, the maintenance crew acquired a fork lift and raised a desk and chair to the roof. They then proceeded to run electric power and telephone wire to the desk. The PTO had ordered a large banner to hang under the roof, and the maintenance staff hung it. The PTO also ordered a special sweatshirt for me to wear. It was a nice warm spring day.

The next morning I arrived early to prepare.  Nancy had the ladder in place. The temperature had dropped overnight, and the wind was blowing hard. I was nervous about climbing from the ladder to the roof, as the ladder just reached the top and it was a long step up from the ladder. I also had a lifelong fear of heights, having frozen on a ladder multiple times as a kid.  I decided I needed something to grab to pull myself up. After discussing with Nancy, we decided I could use the window hardware if a window was opened near the ladder. Nancy said she would make sure it was open.

In spite of the cold, my adrenaline was pumping keeping me warm. Still, I knew it would be a long cold day, so I brought extra clothes and blankets to get through the day. I also brought my coffeepot from home and filled it well before the students arrived. I stashed reading material in the desk. With that, and a phone to make a few calls, I hoped to keep busy.

Our standard school day began on the playground with the students lined up by class. We would say the Pledge of Alliance while lined up beneath the flagpole. It always sent chills up my back when we did this. This day the chills would last all day.

The students began to arrive, and then the surprises started. I didn’t know about the sweatshirt or the banner. I also didn’t expect the press to arrive. There were TV cameras everywhere. A radio station reporter arrived and she briefly interviewed me, and then moved on to students. Parents were interviewed as well as staff.

After all the drama of me climbing up, the staff began to move the students into the school. It was so cold, I started adding clothes. I turned on the coffee pot and took a seat. Later in the day, I was called while on the roof, and interviewed on live radio. I guess it was a slow news day.

The students who were in the learning center could clearly see me. They made a point to stop and wave. I heard one of the teachers say she thought it was cruel to leave me out there all day. I appreciated that, but was determined to stay.

One consequence of the cold, and the coffee, was an overwhelming need to use the bathroom. In all the planning, we hadn’t made provision for this. Fortunately, Nancy checked on me periodically. I asked if she could open the roof access to the air handling room on the second floor. Immediately around the corner from this area was a faculty restroom. I waited until the students left the learning center, and made a dash up the ladder to the next level, across the roof to the access door and down inside the air handling room. I snuck around the corner to the restroom and did not encounter anyone. I was back on the roof in a few minutes. Nancy saved the day!

One of the TV reporters crawled out the join me and did an interview. In the afternoon, the Pantagraph photographer joined me as well. She worked around the roof area, taking photos everywhere. She even climbed a ladder connected to a higher roof area, and hung by her arm while taking photos. Reporters and photographers are dedicated folks.

The superintendent showed up in the learning center and crawled out on the roof. He wasn’t much for publicity stunts, but he got caught up in the hoopla.

I took phone calls from fellow principals all morning and huddled to stay out of the wind. By the time of the first lunch periods, the sun came out. The roof began to warm and the students were allowed outside for noon recess. It was fun to interact with them from the roof, until they started chanting “Jump Jump”.

By dismissal it was reasonably nice outside. I stayed on the roof watching the buses load. As the students left I waved goodbye. When they were all gone, I climbed through the learning center window and went down to my office. I was totally exhausted.

My office had been ably managed by secretaries Delia and Deb and James S.  who covered for me. As a welcome back, the staff placed a banner over my door, and filled my office with balloons. I was tired and not amused, but I knew they meant well.

The next day, the following photo above was on the front page of the Pantagraph. The over whelming press coverage caused more coverage. I found out later, that some national feeds picked up the story. A few years later, while in a conference in Cincinnati with some east coast principals, I was told it was broadcast in Florida and Virginia. I saw an armed forces newspaper from Phoenix, Arizona that mentioned it. There was a brief mention in an educator’s newsletter under innovative ideas.

It was wonderful end to a project that caught the attention of the students. The staff made it all happen and I cannot thank them enough. I am sure I failed to mention so many that helped make this reality. I also am proud of the Irving kids. I hope they remember it fondly and recognized that they could accomplish anything if they worked hard.

 If you are reading through Facebook, you can go back to see the all of the TV news coverage from that day. As I said above, it must have been a slow news day.