An interview with Roy O. Schilling.

At the 2003 ACEI Annual International Conference, attendees were asked to complete a survey that had been developed by the Public Affairs Committee. The purpose was to gauge members' interest in various education issues, review their perceptions of the teaching profession, and identify challenges.

Unable to attend the conference, Roy O, Schilling received the survey in the mail. Schilling is an educator whose career spanned four decades. He was elected Secretary-Treasurer of ACEI in 1962, served as the narrator for the ACEI 75th Anniversary Program in 1967, established the Roy O. & Rachel R. Schilling Scholarship (with his wife) at Central Christian Church in Illinois in 1990, and was a recipient of an ACEI 2003 Outstanding Member Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Illinois State University College of Education Hall of Fame in 2003 and,. ACEI thanks Mr. Schilling for sharing his expertise. Below are his survey responses:

Were there homeless students in your classes?

On September 2, 1935, I began my 44 years of elementary teaching/administration/principalships in the Maple Grove Rural School in Logan County, Illinois. There were 18 children enrolled, including 7 first-graders. In the ensuing years as teacher/principal in Emden, Illinois, in Lincoln, Illinois, supervisor of student teachers in Eastern Oregon University and Pioneer State Teachers College, Plattevillle, Wisconsin, and supervising principal in River Forest, Illinois, and five schools in Decatur, Illinois, I do not recall ever having any homeless children in any of these locations.

Did you feel respected by the parents of your students?

One of my greatest joys during my 44 years was the support and respect of the parents of my students in each location. On very few occasions, a parent would express a complaint or concern for his/her child, but through conferences each one was settled amicably.

Were your students trained to respond during a crisis?

In every location, the students I was privileged to teach were trained to respond to a crisis. Monthly fire drills were held at which time children left the building in single, orderly file and remained outdoors until the "all clear" signal was given for their return to their classrooms. In a building containing 700 students, all were outside in less than a minute. Tornadoes were frequent in the area and again, regular drills were held, particularly in the springtime. Children left their classrooms [and moved] ... into hallways, getting down on their knees, with their heads resting on the floor.

Did students come to school prepared to learn?

Yes, with very few exceptions. Very young children entering kindergarten were sometimes reluctant to have their mothers leave them. The teacher and sometimes the principal would give the child special attention; I remember one situation where I had been a friend of the parents and the little boy seemed to relate to me as a result.

Did you fear verbal/physical abuse from students? Parents?

Never during all of my years did I ever fear abuse from my students. Occasionally, a parent would come to school upset and angry because the student had taken home erroneous information [or] a parent would come inebriated or on drugs. In these rare instances, I would just let them talk it out with no comments from me. Usually, they would leave contented. I recall one mother, after screaming for several minutes with all types of criticism of staff said, "Now that I have made a fool of myself, I guess I will go home." Under my breath, I breathed, "AMEN." For the five months remaining in the year, she was very cooperative and supportive.

Did the community donate funds directed toward budget shortfalls?

Yes, in all instances when the Mothers' Club or Parent Teacher Association recognized a need or were asked to assist with special programs, their responses were always positive. They would raise funds by serving dinners and other activities.

How much per year did your school provide for discretionary spending?

In my earliest years of teaching, our school board members provided the basic needs for classrooms without any discretionary funds. In later years, the PTA, through their various fundraising activities, would allocate equal amounts for each teacher to spend as he/she desired. The amounts could be carried over to the next year.

How much of your income did you spend annually on your classroom?

In my early years, I used my personal funds to provide children Halloween parties, Christmas trees and treats, Valentine and Easter parties, and sometimes I would take them on year-end educational trips/picnics--driving my car and providing some of the food not given by a few parents. This period was when my annual salary ranged from $640 to $1,200. In later years, the Parent Teacher Association provided funds for the children's parties. In 1979, when I retired, my annual salary was $25,000.

What was the greatest need for your classroom?

Storage for supplies and equipment was always a need. I provided my own record player to give the children some music experience. When I had 44 children in my classroom and student teachers to supervise, I very much felt the need for assistance in preparation of teaching materials and time to help the slower learning children. To make the classroom more attractive, I bought material that my mother used to make window curtains.

I have enjoyed my time this afternoon typing this document, which has brought back many happy memories. I can honestly and truthfully say that I enjoyed every day of my experience in spite of many long hours at night and weekends.--Roy O. Schilling

RELATED ARTICLE: 2004 ACEI election.

ACEI has a strong slate of candidates for the 2004 election. The positions available and nominees are:

President-Elect: Jeanie Burnett and Ronald P. Colbert

Member-At-[Large.sup.2]: Patricia H. Kostell and Deborah Moberly

Student Representative: Andrew Peralta

A ballot and information about the nominees were mailed November 20, 2003, to all members on record as of November 1, 2003. Any address changes received at Headquarters before October 31, 2003, were reflected in the mailing. Completed ballots must be postmarked by January 15, 2004. The independent accounting firm of M. D. Oppenheim & Company will tabulate the results. ACEI is your organization and its elected leaders represent your interests. Help give ACEI a stronger voice for children by casting your ballot today.

Call for Nominations 2005 Executive Board Election

Vice President Representing Infancy/Early Childhood

* Plan and chair meetings of the Infancy/Early Childhood Committee.

* Follow through on action items agreed upon by the Committee at the Annual Conference.

* Plan and chair the Division Luncheons held in conjunction with the Annual Conference.

* Serve in leadership role for Division-sponsored activities at the Annual Conference.

* Prepare annual report of the Committee and present to the Executive Board.

* In cooperation with Headquarters, appoint a sub-committee to review conference proposals.

* Invite members to serve on the Infancy/Early Childhood Committee and prepare official committee roster.

* Submit copy of Annual Committee Report and official Committee Roster to Headquarters.

* Follow through on official Committee charges that come from the Executive Board.

* Present Committee recommendations to the Executive Board.

* Submit to Headquarters articles for the Focus on Infancy and Focus on Pre-K & K Professional Focus newsletters.

Secretary

* Record the Minutes at all Executive Board meetings and at the Annual Business Meeting.

* Serve on the Budget Committee.

* Present the rules of order at the Annual Business Meeting.

* Keep a notebook of all Minutes and pass it on to the next Secretary.

Deadline for submission is March 15, 2004. Contact Headquarters for an application, or visit our Web site at www.acei.org.