John Wilson didn’t plan to be a teacher.
He grew up in Allen County and went to work with his brother after high school.
“Then I just had this itch. I wanted to be a teacher,” he said.
By that time, he was married with a baby. He moved his family to Emporia and went to school while working for a beef processing plant. He earned his degree in elementary education in 1978, and moved back to Iola to complete his student teaching at Jefferson Elementary.
Later, he was offered a position as a third grade teacher at LaHarpe Grade School. He taught at LaHarpe for more than 15 years.
“Those were some of the best years of my life. We had our own autonomy. It was beautiful,” he said.
After the LaHarpe and Gas schools closed, Wilson went back to school to earn a master’s degree in elementary administration.
Later, he taught sixth and seventh grade at Iola Middle School.
He retired in 2015 after being diagnosed with lymphoma. The treatment was difficult but successful. He’s near the five-year mark of being cancer-free.
“April 6 will be my new birthday,” he said.
Wilson said he misses teaching so decided to run for the school board.
“I miss the kids immensely. You really don’t know what you have until you don’t have it anymore,” he said.
The education system has changed quite a bit since he first became a teacher.
“There’s a lot of pressure on kids now. Kids just want to be recognized. They want to be loved,” he said.
This board will oversee the completion of the new elementary school and decide what to do about existing school buildings. What would you like to see happen?
“We’re on the cusp of something very special with this new elementary building,” he said.
“You’re going to assimilate so many kids in a building and you can group them by ability. You can meet their needs better when you can group them according to their abilities, whether it be reading or math.”
Wilson said he wants to give teachers and students all the tools they need to be successful, and the new school is one way to do that.
“I want to provide students with the least restrictive environment so that they can reach their full potential. It takes a lot of good people to run a school.”
As for the existing buildings, Wilson said he would encourage input from the community before any decision is made. He would like to see the buildings used in a way that benefits the community, such as something for senior citizens, something recreation in mind, “similar to what they did with the Gas and LaHarpe schools.” He’s also open to converting the buildings to housing.
You’re opposed to critical race theory, which is not being taught in Kansas K-12 schools. So why are you concerned?
Critical race theory is an academic concept that began in the late 1970s and early 1980s by legal scholars. It is the college-level study of race and how racism is embedded into various social systems. Though it is not being taught at the K-12 level in Kansas, it has emerged as a divisive political issue.
Wilson said he is especially concerned about what is being taught in Iola schools and contends that critical race theory is pertinent.
“I knew this was going to come up. It’s very divisive and it’s not what we want. It’s not education. It’s indoctrination,” Wilson said. “Think about a 5- or 6-year old who starts kindergarten and they don’t know anything about color. If she’s white, you’re telling her she’s bad. If she’s brown or black, you’re telling her she will never be enough and she’s always a victim.”
Wilson said he doesn’t have a problem with teaching history, but is concerned that a specific “critical race theory” program would harm children and further stoke divisions.
Since the pandemic, the board has heard very passionate pleas from parents regarding COVID-19 policies. How would you address those issues?
Wilson said attended a school board meeting to oppose mask mandates. He believes masks are not effective in preventing the spread of the virus and give people a false sense of security.
He also is opposed to the board issuing a mask mandate because he believes it violates personal freedom.
“Where does it stop?”
If elected to the board, he said he would listen to patrons and do his own research before deciding on issues.
Enrollment continues to decline at Iola schools and other districts in Southeast Kansas. Lower enrollment translates to less funding. What concerns do you have about that?
“Our community needs jobs that provide people a home,” he said. “How do we do that? I’m not really sure.”
As for how to address a potential decline in funds related to lower enrollment, Wilson said that could force the board to make difficult decisions.
“That’s where I would lean on my superintendent. I’d have to put my trust in him. He knows the budget. I would hope the whole board was leaning on his leadership.”
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