Dr. Scott Slechta, Father of Education

I get occasional emails from readers, most of them complimentary of my Empty Nest column. (I really do appreciate this feedback.)

This particular email, however, was outta sight. It was from Dr. Scott Slechta who lives with his wife, Tricia, on St. Simons Island, Georgia. It seems he grew up in Vail, Iowa, was a school teacher in Iowa, was Teacher of the Year in 2016, and has followed my Empty Nest column in his hometown newspaper, “The Observer” for years.

What he said about my writing is the greatest compliment I have ever received. Any writer would love to hear this, and coming from him, a Doctor of Education, it's priceless. He said I am “Iowa's Garrison Keillor, Robert Frost and Mark Twain rolled into one.” Well, shut the front door! If he had thrown in “Donald Kaul” I could have died and gone to heaven.

Needless to say, I have Dr. Scott Slechta's quote taped above my desk. Whenever I feel a little down, which all of us do from time-to-time, I go and reread this quote. It's a wonderful picker-upper.

Scott Slechta was raised on a farm in Vail, Iowa, which is southwest of Westside, Arcadia and Breda. Got it? He was a good student at Ar-We-Va High, ran track and was college bound, which was Simpson College in Indianola. He received a BA in English in 1980, with a coaching endorsement. (If you want to be hired as a teacher, you have to have added value.)

Marquette High School in West Point, Iowa, snapped him up. At the Catholic school, the nuns took him under their habit. He taught English, coached girls six-on-six basketball, junior high track, yearbook, drama and speech.

Scott knew that if he wanted to get anywhere teaching, he needed a graduate degree. So, after two years at Marquette, it was off to UNI for a Masters Degree in Teaching English in Secondary Schools, with endorsements in journalism, theater, communication and speech. He and his wife Tricia met as summer counselors at Camp Hantesa, in Boone, IA.

Then it was off to Fairfield from 1984 to 2016 (32 years). It was in 2016, nominated by students and faculty, that he was awarded the prestigious title of Teacher of the Year. He took a year sabbatical and traveled the state and nation as an ambassador for the Iowa Department of Education. He met President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. He went to Huntsville, AL, Princeton, NJ, San Antonio, TX and Tampa, FL. He went across the state from river-to-river and border-to-border for presentations, professional development and educational training.

He earned a Doctorate of Education and taught English classes at Simpson College in Indianola and Grandview University in Des Moines. He was Teacher Academy Facilitator for Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) for six years. Even after retirement at St. Simons Island, Georgia (sunny beaches and warm weather year around), he is still teaching at DMACC on-line, and substitute teaching at Frederica Academy on St. Simons Island. Teaching is his life, his passion.

I asked him to review one of my books. Not only did he review it, but he wrote a glowing four-page, typewritten analysis of the book's key points. I was stunned. He simply said, “It's how I review all my students' writing.” (No wonder he was Teacher of the Year!)

Earlier this year, Scott Slechta was invited back to Fairfield High School where he, along with two other teachers, Linda Mitcheltree and Jim Edgeton, received the prestigious honor of having the high school auditorium named after them: Mitcheltree-Slechta-Edgeton Performing Arts Auditorium. Far out, man!

It is now my turn to bestow an honor. You, Dr. Scott Slechta, are the 21st Century's Horace Mann, The Father of Education.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him a curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.

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