Kids take a walk into adulthood

It is during graduation week that I often think of my good friend Pat Deutschman.

Pat served on the Citrus County School Board for 16 years, retiring in 2014. She and husband Fred moved from Inverness to Colorado a few years back, and I still miss them.

Pat is the only reason I have even the slightest clue how the school district operates.

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Not long after she took office, the Chronicle editors asked that I take over the School Board beat from a reporter who had excelled at it but was moving on to another newspaper.

I’d been at the Chronicle for about 10 years and knew my way around local government, so I eagerly accepted. How hard could it be?

My first School Board meeting, totally lost. My second School Board meeting, totally lost. Their language was nothing I'd ever heard before. Meanwhile, Barbara Behrendt of the St. Pete Times, who had written about Citrus County Schools for years, was carving up the coverage leaving me to play catch-up.

So, I called Pat.

We had gotten to know one another during the campaign. I found her a stickler for details (God help the reporter who had an error in a Pat Deutschman story), someone super intrigued about the educational process, and eager to join the School Board team.

I needed help. Pat provided it. Nearly every night for three weeks we were on the phone for hours. “Explain this to me,” I said during each call. 

Pat walked me through the state rules, how they trickle down to the school district and eventually to the classroom. I’ve said it to anyone who listens: Nothing tougher to grasp than the governance of Florida public schools.

More than explaining the processes, though, Pat made me realize the significance of it all: Kids. Pat loved kids. And she would say “kids” — not “students” or “pupils.” Pat always wanted to make sure Citrus County stayed focused on the prize, and that’s educating kids.

Kids are graduating this week. I really like today’s blog photo from the school district’s Facebook page. That feeling of triumph — totally get it.

Education fascinates me. How do kids learn? I once followed a Forest Ridge Elementary kindergarten teacher through the year. I wanted to know how she prepares 6-year-olds for the next 12 years of their lives.

I don’t want to sound like an old fogey, but these younguns today have pressures I never faced as a kid. We didn’t have deputies in the hallways or locks on the classroom doors. We didn’t have a pandemic close down the schools for a year. No social media bullying, cyber stalking, or transgender identity issues.

It is MUCH more difficult for kids today than in my youth.

Here’s the thing though: Kids are resilient. They figure it out. What they know is all they know. They play the hand dealt. 

Graduation week is one of melancholy and hope. Those kids walk across the stage from childhood to something completely different, one to experience all on their own. They’ll look back on this week, either fondly or not, and it won’t be forgotten.

— The fallout this week from Michelle Lahera’s devastating column about Sheriff Mike Prendergast brought quite a few comments from people who questioned why the driver whose car struck Andy Lahera wasn’t arrested.

Let’s talk about it for a minute.

First off, I have no idea why she wasn’t charged. I’m going to guess that the Florida Highway Patrol did its usual thorough investigation (nobody investigates crashes like FHP) and concluded no crimes were committed.

What I’m not understanding is the ferocity of some people who want the dirty details on why this driver wasn’t arrested. They demand to know her name. Something must be up, they say.

I mean…really? We should be outraged at what's happened to the Lahera family, of course, but not at the expense of this poor young woman who was driving. Show a little grace. It was an accident. It happens.

We’re taking the government three-day holiday, so no blog on Monday. Enjoy this Memorial Day weekend, and please friends, stay safe.

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