Iron County School District Shines Spotlight On Dedicated Educators

You get up every morning, go to work, put in a full day, deal all day long with others and their situation, get home and do even more work to be ready for tomorrow, and all this for not the greatest income producing profession. And maybe you sometimes wonder why you do it when on top of it all, no one seems to notice what you do. 

While you may be thinking I’m describing the typical life of a radio station employee, the reality is this description can also fit the lives of those who teach our children. The leadership of the Iron County School District wants to see those teachers in the district here are not simply noticed but appreciated as well. That’s why Jeanette Stubbs, the Executive Director of Human Resources was with us on the radio. She was also joined by Shaunna Lund, the Communications and Foundation Director for the school district, and they wanted to talk about Teacher Appreciation Week.

“Every single day we have 14,000 students being educated by 526 fabulous teachers. And that's where the magic happens. If you need to have a great day, take a minute and go sit down in a classroom and just watch the magic happen,” Stubbs declared. 

Combined, the teaching staff in the Iron County School District has some 8,000 years of experience. And many of our teachers continue their education after they start the teaching profession. According to Stubbs, “over 400 of those 526 (teachers) hold a master's degree or higher. So, we have some pretty amazing teachers in Iron County.” 

And district teachers don’t end their day when they leave the classroom. For most it’s a day and night effort, and those three months that you think they have off in the summer are often dedicated to working for the students.

Subbs wanted to let the community know that teachers impact on the community goes well beyond what tests and grades indicate. “There is a lot to do, and great teachers, it is their life and I think in a good way. It affects them in a very positive way. A teacher in a career of 25 to 30 years will positively affect over 3000 students. I think that's incredible. And oftentimes it's the after-hours work, the summer work, the preparation for those fun activities that make that magic happen and really make it a positive experience,” Stubbs told us. 

Apparently, teachers in the Iron County School District enjoy the work here. Turnover is low. Of the 526 teachers in the district, only 30 were hired to begin this school year, and of those 30, 15 were hired as replacements for teachers who retired.

You can listen the podcast of our visit with Jeannete Stubbs and Shauna Lund below to find out more of our teachers contributions to the community, and how you can express your appreciation.