Don’t let a valuable teacher/coach slip away

Oak Park-River Forest High School would be making a huge mistake if it forced Al Allen to find a part-time position teaching math at another school next year. Allen stepped down as a full-time math teacher at the end of the 2006-07 school year. Allen could have continued to teach, but his retirement nest egg would have taken a severe jolt. Allen, who resigned as varsity boys basketball coach at the end of the season, is currently teaching one class. As things stand now, Allen will be on the outside looking in when classes start in September. The losers in that scenario are the students who could have Allen as a teacher. Allen loves teaching more than anything in the world. He only agreed to coach many years ago to improve the chance of landing a high school teaching position. Teachers like Allen are hard to find and should be kept when at all possible. How much would it cost to have Allen teach one class next year? How about if the administrators in the school give up going out of town to a conference or convention? As valuable as the trips might be, would it not be better to keep a qualified teacher? How about cutting out the food that is brought into the school during meetings or in-service days? Bring a sack lunch instead. Allen will have to look elsewhere in a very short time if something isn’t worked out with OPRF. Nazareth Academy seems to be a place where teachers from OPRF end up. Lets hope Allen isn’t another one to get away over a very small amount of money.