How Do You Name a School?

An editorial in the July 20th Northwest Herald was titled "The school name game". It said that the Manhattan Institute had done a study and found that the naming of public schools after US presidents and famous people are on the decline. New "schools now tend to be named after natural features- mountains, rivers and so on."

The Herald finds this "troubling."  Students should have role models, and naming a school after a distinguished public figure whose work generally is regarded as having made life better helps to perform the civic mission of public education."

I agree with the Herald completely. Schools exist to move students on to a higher level, both in knowledge, problem-solving, and giving back to society what has been spent for their education.

I taught for 31 years at John T. Magee Middle School in Round Lake, Illinois. It was named for a school board member. The last two years I taught, I was at Round Lake Middle School in a new building, but, believe me, I wanted to keep the old name. Actually, I would have been very happy to have stayed my whole career at just the one school. But they closed Magee and I had no choice.

Liz taught at Beach School, named for the Village of Round Lake Beach, and at Ellis School, which was named for a school board member as well.

Thinking back to my elementary and high school names, I went to Emma Conn School in Raleigh, NC, first through third grades. I have no idea why it was named that. Fourth grade was spent between a school in Jacksonville, Florida that I don't remember the name, and Fourth Street School in Greenville, NC, named for its location. I also went there for fifth grade.

Sixth grade, I was at Cardinal Drive School in Rolling Meadows, also named for its location. Seventh and eighth grades, I was at Winston Park Junior High School, named for the builders of our subdivision.

High school was at William Fremd in Palatine for freshman year and Palatine High School for the last three years.

That was a lot of moving around as Dad worked for Quaker Oats and whenever he go a promotion, he had to move.

That's a Lot of Schools in My Younger Days. --RoadDog