THE ONE WHERE I MET BRAD JOHNSON

 1987-1988:  Argonia Public Schools K-12 Library, 9-12 Speech/Theatre

School Picture 1987

I do not think that the School Board was happy with me in the fall of 1987. I defied them by NOT living in Argonia, I really had no choice, because financially I was not making it. Many people in my boat simply lived off of their credit cards, I am proud to say that I have NEVER had credit card debt. I was lucky that my parents welcomed me back home, RENT FREE. It allowed me to add more to my monthly student loan payments as well as save some money. My sister Michelle and her son had moved out and she was going to be getting married that November. Her son Brad had a raspy voice. The Speech Pathologist at Belle Plaine Elementary suggested that Michelle talk to the School Psychologist Brad Johnson about her son's voice. They met and it was determined that his voice was not out of the ordinary. Michelle and I loved attending Debbbie Vargus's aerobics classes in Belle Plaine and it was at one of those classes that she told me about a very cute young new School Psychologist named Brad Johnson that I should try to meet him.

I have ALWAYS loved fitness 

At my sister's wedding my Dad (in his dramatic fashion) made a BIG deal about the tossing of the Wedding bouquet. He was yelling that his “Old Maid” daughter needed all the help she could get. After getting hit in the head with the bouquet (Michelle did you do that on purpose?) I did catch the bouquet, Two weeks later I was at a GREAT BOOKS seminar located at the Sumner County Educational Co-Op where I was introduced to Brad Johnson. He asked me if he could call me later? I did not wait for him to call, I MADE THE CALL. We have been together ever since. 

Contract for the 1987-88 school year

 In the spring of 1988 I started thinking about perusing my Masters degree. I took a graduate level Advanced Public Speaking class at Wichita State University. It helped me to realize that I did love public speaking and liked teaching it, and especially liked when the Forensics season rolled around. I did not however LOVE it and feel a "passion" about it.  I had some pretty good actresses as students. Our One Act Play OVERTONES earned a “I” at the regional tournament which meant in two weeks we would compete at the state forensics tournament. As we got on the bus to head back to Argonia I noticed that one of my actresses was not on board. I got off the bus and located her with a boyfriend. She told me that she was going to ride home with him. I told her that she was not to do that as it violated school policy. I could not get her on the bus and watched her take off with her boyfriend. Her consequence for not riding the bus home was that she was not allowed to attend the state forensics tournament. Without an understudy it punished the other three actresses and they too did not get to go to the state tournament. This was unfortunate as all three of them were good actresses. I often wonder what became of those girls. Kathleen Forrest is now a successful realtor in Oklahoma. Not sure what became of Denise Delozier (but I have recently sent her a FB friend request). The other girls name was Liberty? I do not remember the name of the girl that would not get on the bus?

I became friendly with Susan Neal who would often substitute teach for the district. She was my age and we had a lot of fun together. She was having trouble finding a PE job and was taking classes to become an Elementary School Teacher. She got me to thinking about my future. I wished I would have been given more guidance at the University of Oklahoma as I would have gone into Elementary Education instead of Secondary Education, it is a better match for my personality. Since my school district would pay for your graduate level classes in areas you were certified, I decided to take an Advanced Public Speaking class at WSU. I did this thinking that perhaps it would help me become passionate about teaching Speech/Theatre again. It didn’t, it confirmed that I would be much happier teaching younger students. I knew at some point I would take the 12 hours in Elementary Education which would allow me to become a K-12 Library Media Specialist. The best part of my day was always the hour I spent at the Elementary School. 

Prom 1988

In the spring it was announced that our Principal was retiring. I liked him. He had given me GREAT Teacher reviews. I was nervous about a new incoming Principal coming in and my prospect of earning tenure after completing my third year. I am not even sure how tenure works anymore after former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback eliminated it for teachers a few years back. In the late 1980’s it meant that a teacher with 3 or less years within the same district could be dismissed for no reason and not offered a contract for the following year. I had learned that Argoina was notorious for not granting tenure to their Librarians/Speech/Drama Teachers. It was actually cheaper for them to start over with someone fresh out of college every three years and pay for their Library Media Certification hours. I wondered if that would happen to me? A fun spring memory was my taking Brad Johnson to our Prom. Don't you just love my big hair?

In the summer of 1988 I decided to move out of my parents home and rent an apartment in Wellington (which was the same town that Brad lived in). My round trip to work would now be 44 miles instead of 72.

Look for my next blog entry on 5/22/21 titled: THE ONE WHERE I WAS PUT ON A PLAN OF ASSISTANCE 1988-1989: Argonia Public Schools K-12 Library, 9-12 Speech/Theatre