This is from one of my former students, Brad Keener (couldnt get it to share from my personal page to Elect Schreck). This is what he wrote, unsolicited. Were all very proud of our students and wish them the best. Sometimes its hard to keep a positive attitude with all of the bureaucratic nonsense, the political lies, the using of students as pawns, etc., but at L-S we have a mantra: Its about the students, the students, the students. They are people and not data points. For what it is worth, I would care to share my opinion of Mr. Gary Schreckengost. It has been years since my friends and I have graced the desks of Lampeter-Strasburg. However, that being said, I have very few things in regards to jr. high that really impacted me as he did as a teacher. I am not saying this for the fact he is now in the public eye, but because its a truth to myself. If you were to know my friends and myself during those days, we may have been what some would say resembled possible trouble makers. We werent known for the ease we placed on teachers, especially new ones. Mr. Schreckengost somehow found a way to get past our childish repertoire and teach us something. Im not speaking of teaching us for the sole purpose of scoring higher on standardized testing to ensure school funding. Im speaking of finding a way to teach a bunch of derelicts their country and states history. He didnt water himself down to show us he was the cool new young teacher. He simply found a way to flank our too cool teenage defenses we worked so hard to build. I honestly can say I have never met a man with so much pride for American history. But mostly the history that took place in our own backyard. I was too busy being a cool tough guy to care about how much of what we are as a state and country today was based on what transpired locally. Unfortunately, I am no longer an official resident of what I now know to be one of, if not the greatest state in the United States of America. This being said I with regret will not be able to place a vote for this actual Patriot. That term is thrown around way too liberally today. People love to say, If our forefathers were still in charge we wouldnt have these problems. Well Pennsylvania, here is your chance to put a man in I believe would have fought shoulder to shoulder with our forefathers, and still stands for the beliefs that some of those men died for, and all of them fought for. I now live in the State of Texas. A state filled with people whom are so very proud of their state. And thanks to Mr. Schreckengost, I know that this state has nothing in comparison to the rich history of the wonderful state of Pennsylvania. To wrap this tangent up, I would like to close with this thought: Any man or women who can teach kids and make a difference that impacts a whole life, and if I had to guess he probably doesnt remember us or this stand out like it does to me because doing so wasnt a choice but more of a duty to him. Brian Buser, Jeremy Newell, Ron Patt, Amanda Patterson, Brad Keener. We were all recipients of this teachers skills and gifts. I believe that he has served his country, his school, his community, and all for reasons that boil down to one thing: his devotion and love to his country. Thats it, plain and simple. Stop voting between the lesser of two evils, vote for a man that could have stood in the rooms in Philadelphia helping to write our countrys blue prints with other true countryman. And remember Patriots can be politicians, but not all politicians are patriots. Its not just a name, its should be more of a verb. Good luck Pennsylvania! You need men like Mr. Schreckengost. All our political offices do. Patriots, not lobbyists. Stop the agendas. Thank you Mr. Schreckengost for helping to guide my adolescent mind and actually think.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 14:30:55 +0000