I was very fortunate to have excellent teachers in public schools, with only a couple of "underachievers" who were assigned to courses that didn't really matter much. (Driver Ed, & the like, maybe.)

It seems a little unfair to single out one, but my absolute favorite would have to be "Tillie" who gave us a course called "Modern World Problems" for which the basic question was "Explain WWII."

I'm still working on it. Although I've expanded a little beyond that specific era the problems are still just as "modern" and still pretty much the same ones as they were then.

Of course "Dorothy" deserves a special mention for taking an interest in expanding my interests in literature.

And there's Bob Timmons, the track & cross country coach who made me do a little more than I really had the talent for - but who left us prematurely to later become head track coach at K.U. in order to help some people with real talent.

Unfortunately my own kids didn't seem quite as fortunate when they got into the same school system a little later. I never really figured out whether it was the teachers, or if they just broke the system - although I have some ideas about it.

John