Niles Teachers Thank Parents for Support

The Niles Township Federation of Teachers came out Thursday night to say a big thank you to the parents who make their jobs so much easier.

Ten parents from Niles North and Niles West high schools were honored for their work for various school program at an informal dinner at Barnaby’s in Niles.

“Teachers and parents have so much in common,” said Pankaj Sharma, the president of the federation. “We want the best for our students and our teachers.”

Teacher unions have taken a beating lately, what with states from Wisconsin to Idaho either stripping them of collective bargaining rights or threatening to.

But when Niles Township High School District 219 approved a restructuring plan that led to 10 tenured teachers receiving “reduction in force” (RIF) notices saying they would not be needed next year, parents rallied to support them, writing letters and speaking on their behalf at school board meetings.

The District 219 school board and the union negotiated a solution that allowed the tenured teachers to keep their jobs while cutting non-tenured teachers, but members of the teachers union wanted to thank parents for coming to their defense.

“The 10 teachers who got RIFed, they had such an outpouring of support from parents, and it meant so much to them,” said Rachel Gross, a Niles North teacher who is on the union’s executive committee and organized the event. “We also wanted to remind the parents that the teachers who work with and coach their kids every day are union members.”

Parents who were honored were: David and Mary O'Connor, for their support of Niles West athletics and support of Lou Metallo, one of the tenured teachers who received a RIF notice; Mary Granato, for her work as the president of Niles North Athletic Booster Club; Eileen Wright, for her work as president of Niles West Athletic Booster Club; Renee DeWald, for her work on the Niles North PTSA and the Curriculum Standards for School Improvement Committee; Catalina Vega and Sandy Coba, for their work in developing the Niles West Futuro Latino program; Lisa Lipin, for her work in creating Skokie Voice; Patty Kelly, for her work as president of Niles West Theatre Parents; and Anita Scanlon, for her continuing support of the Niles North Theatre.

Each parent was introduced by a teacher who has worked with them.

Niles North head football coach Scott Smith, for example, introduced Granato, saying she should be known as Mary “I Can Do That” Granato.

Niles West theater teacher Andy Sinclair introduced Patty Kelly by talking about her work supporting students who need a parent there telling them they did a good job.

“I know why they are called theater parents,” Sinclair said. “They are not only parents to their children, but to the whole theater program. They do anything we ask.”