Latest / Live in the Lab Schools / Ep #7 - Pioneers with Purpose: UHigh Admin on Leadership

Transcript

Ep #7 - Pioneers with Purpose: UHigh Admin on Leadership · Live in the Lab Schools

0:08
Andy Goveia: Today we're sitting down with the administrative team from University High School.
0:12
Andy Goveia: That's Mrs.
0:12
Andy Goveia: Andrea Markert, Mr.
0:13
Andy Goveia: Brian Roman, Mr.
0:14
Andy Goveia: Steve Evans.
0:15
Andy Goveia: They're here for a conversation about leadership, fun, and the joy that it is to lead in this system.
0:21
Andy Goveia: I'm Andy Gobay.
0:22
Andy Goveia: And I'm Ben Webb.
0:24
Andy Goveia: And this is Live in the Lab Schools.
0:26
Andy Goveia: We are here.
0:38
Andy Goveia: We've got the administrative team from University High School in studio with us.
0:42
Andy Goveia: Five microphones today.
0:44
Andy Goveia: Ben got it done.
0:46
Andy Goveia: We're excited to have them here.
0:48
Ben Webb: Yeah.
0:48
Ben Webb: I'm glad you're excited because I spent a lot of time with these people.
0:51
Ben Webb: So it's for me, it's like, hey, I see you every day.
0:55
Ben Webb: So for you, it's like this is great.
0:57
Ben Webb: New people.
0:58
Ben Webb: Um so uh just kind of going around the room.
1:01
Ben Webb: We've already heard once from Andrea Markert, who's our principal.
1:04
Ben Webb: Andrea, how are you?
1:05
Ben Webb: I'm great, thanks.
1:06
Ben Webb: Awesome.
1:07
Ben Webb: Uh and then we've got two other people who are laughing off camera.
1:11
Ben Webb: Once we do videos, this is gonna get even better.
1:14
Ben Webb: So uh continuing on, Mr.
1:16
Ben Webb: Roman, how are you, sir?
1:17
Brian Rohman: I'm doing well.
1:18
Brian Rohman: How are you doing today, Mr.
1:19
Brian Rohman: Webb?
1:19
Ben Webb: Oh, it's it's great.
1:20
Ben Webb: I'm doing great.
1:21
Ben Webb: And then laughing the most out of all of us, Mr.
1:24
Ben Webb: Steve Evans, our athletic director.
1:25
Ben Webb: How are you, sir?
1:26
Steve Evans: Great.
1:26
Steve Evans: I don't know why I just waved, but no great.
1:29
Steve Evans: You just waved.
1:31
Steve Evans: Cool.
1:33
Andy Goveia: Uh so I guess first question.
1:34
Andy Goveia: Here you go.
1:35
Andy Goveia: So we open this is kind of how we always open the podcast.
1:38
Andy Goveia: Who are you?
1:39
Andy Goveia: How did you end up in this job?
1:40
Andy Goveia: Mrs.
1:41
Andy Goveia: Marker, we got that from you on admissions.
1:42
Andy Goveia: But if you could just really quick remind us who you are, what you do here?
1:45
Andy Goveia: Andrea Marker, I'm the principal.
1:47
Andy Goveia: Mr.
1:48
Andy Goveia: Roman, who are you?
1:49
Andy Goveia: Welcome.
1:50
Andy Goveia: How'd you get here?
1:51
Brian Rohman: Uh Brian Roman, I'm the assistant principal.
1:53
Brian Rohman: Um, I've been in the lab schools for the last uh this is year 11.
1:58
Brian Rohman: I was in the English department uh for nine years, and then last year I stepped into the role of interim assistant principal, and then I was hired as the official assistant principal this year.
2:08
Andy Goveia: Awesome, Mr.
2:09
Andy Goveia: Evans.
2:10
Steve Evans: Uh yes, I am Steve Evans.
2:12
Steve Evans: I'm the director of athletics and activities.
2:14
Steve Evans: This is my 20th year uh here at the lab schools at UI.
2:19
Steve Evans: First six years I taught biology.
2:21
Steve Evans: I was a member of the freshman program for a while, and then I became the assistant principal for eight years, and this is my sixth year as the athletic director and activities director.
2:32
Ben Webb: So, okay, what go through that?
2:34
Steve Evans: You started as I so 2006 is when I started.
2:37
Steve Evans: I was a biology teacher, and then about three years into that, we got biology, got moved into the freshman program.
2:44
Steve Evans: So now I was a member of the freshman program, and I taught for six years, got my type signing five, my master's over there at ISU, and then became the assistant principal, did that for eight, and then I switched over and became my current role.
2:58
Ben Webb: So how so the long haul to get to the dream job?
3:03
Steve Evans: I mean, I appreciate using the word dream.
3:05
Steve Evans: So uh, but yeah, no, I'm just teasing.
3:06
Steve Evans: Uh definitely got there.
3:08
Steve Evans: Um, because obviously, for many of us, we were UHI is not our first job.
3:12
Steve Evans: So we we all, especially I've worked with Andrea, her and I taught biology together as well.
3:17
Steve Evans: So we had jobs prior to a different at different schools, but this was kind of the path, yeah.
3:21
Steve Evans: Come in and the education, and then we kind of worked, you know, getting our type 75, and it just worked out to where we were able to be administrators here at the lab schools.
3:28
Ben Webb: Very cool.
3:29
Ben Webb: And so wait, you so wait, you didn't want to be assistant principal, but you wanted to be assistant principal.
3:35
Brian Rohman: We'll go with that.
3:36
Brian Rohman: Uh no, so I was working on my uh my administrative license and the principal prep program, uh, and I was the English department chair at the time, um, working and kind of going through both.
3:46
Brian Rohman: And then the opportunity came up and I started actually talking to Steve about it because you know, the the benefit in my role is actually the two people I work with on the team have been in my job before.
3:57
Brian Rohman: Um, so if I have a question, hey, what'd you guys do about it?
4:01
Brian Rohman: You know, they're there.
4:02
Brian Rohman: Um, and so that's nice, but just started doing some soul searching um as I was working on that uh admin uh degree, master's degree, and started talking to Steve and Andrew about it when the interim position was posted and threw my hat in the ring and the rest is history.
4:20
Ben Webb: So, really assistant principal handed down, handed down.
4:22
Ben Webb: Andy, you're next with that.
4:24
Andy Goveia: No, that's no, that's no.
4:26
Andy Goveia: I don't have that certification, nor am I working on that certification.
4:29
Ben Webb: The power of yet.
4:31
Andy Goveia: Yeah, the power of yet.
4:32
Andy Goveia: Um as we this is what a day to record this episode.
4:38
Andy Goveia: Um as we think about your jobs, people generally I think know what an AD does, what a principal does, what an assistant principal does.
4:45
Andy Goveia: But could you all walk us through what is it about your role here at UHI that makes your job different from what an AD or an assistant principal like what is unique about your job because that job is here?
4:57
Steve Evans: Do you want us to speak in our current roles that we're in or the roles we've served before?
5:01
Steve Evans: I mean, do you want Mr.
5:02
Steve Evans: Roma just to focus who is his principals?
5:04
Steve Evans: Because we all probably have our own opinion about how was serving those roles.
5:09
Andrea Markert: Take it take us through your sure, take us through it.
5:12
Andrea Markert: Well, I think the biggest thing, first of all, is that we are a K-12 school existing in a university environment.
5:22
Andrea Markert: Um, so while that has a lot of positives, it also um has some negatives in the rules that we have to follow or the policies that we have to follow that are university policies that other school districts may not have to follow.
5:38
Andrea Markert: Um and so I think that's like the biggest difference in our jobs is that we have to fit into these university policies.
5:49
Andrea Markert: And I'll give an example in the principal's job for hiring.
5:52
Andrea Markert: Um so we have to go through the university to hire people, which means we have to follow their policies on posting it for a certain amount of time, bringing candidates in, you know, having two different rounds or agreeing to only do one round.
6:07
Andrea Markert: And then it just takes longer to go through all of that process, and then it takes longer to hire the person because of the fit paperwork that they have to fill out and everything.
6:18
Andrea Markert: It's not housed in our area.
6:20
Andrea Markert: That's housed in HR and ISU.
6:22
Andrea Markert: So we don't have as much control over the time frame and everything.
6:27
Andrea Markert: So that would be an example of something that just takes a little bit longer because we're using a different system than a typical K-12 school system would use.
6:36
Brian Rohman: Uh I think from the assistant principal role, I what I've learned in talking to other system principals elsewhere is uh that role really is unique to each school, right?
6:47
Brian Rohman: So you might have assist, but it's it's usually more focused, right?
6:50
Brian Rohman: So schools, unless it's a smaller school, even I'd say smaller than you high, you might have a focus of, okay, you're an assistant principal for discipline, you're an assistant principal for curriculum to assist the principal and helping departments build that curriculum out.
7:05
Brian Rohman: Um, you're gonna help build the culture of the school.
7:08
Brian Rohman: And here you're kind of a jack of all trades.
7:11
Brian Rohman: So um rather than, you know, actually, Steve, when I was when I was talking to him about the role and after I got the interim role, you know, he kind of used this metaphor of other places you're gonna be eating the same thing every single day, right?
7:22
Brian Rohman: It might be discipline and evals, discipline and evals, and that's it, or you know, evals and curriculum, evals and curriculum, evals and testing, whatever it might be.
7:30
Brian Rohman: But here, every day really is something a little bit different.
7:33
Brian Rohman: So, really, there's like five, four or five big areas that the assistant principal oversees.
7:39
Brian Rohman: So um it's managing the building.
7:40
Brian Rohman: So working with, and and back to Andrea's point about what is it like in that university system, you know, somewhere else, we would have a janitorial staff we'd work with.
7:49
Brian Rohman: We'd be able to go directly to them with a contract that our board of education has negotiated and have really direct conversations, but we're separated because that's another area on campus.
8:01
Brian Rohman: And so that creates some frustrations for myself, for the folks in the building when things aren't cleaned properly, aren't done on the schedule we're promised, things like that.
8:09
Brian Rohman: Um, so you know, so build overseeing the facility, um, obviously some teacher evaluation, student discipline.
8:18
Brian Rohman: Um, but it's just it's it's there's just a lot, it's just it's more vast than I think a typical 80 position is in that regard.
8:28
Steve Evans: Yeah, I pick back all that.
8:30
Steve Evans: It's just literally like it's eating at a buffet.
8:33
Steve Evans: Like and you gotta eat it all too.
8:36
Steve Evans: I mean, you can't just pick and choose what you don't want to eat, you know what I'm saying?
8:39
Steve Evans: You can't go after your favorite meal.
8:41
Steve Evans: So, like it is just the extra layer.
8:44
Steve Evans: I think that's what makes the lab school so unique.
8:46
Steve Evans: Um, but it also is what makes it so intriguing is there's is that extra layer of that partnership that we have with ISU that can also come with some hoops that we might have to jump through that you might not normally have to do that at any other school or any other districts.
9:03
Steve Evans: So it's kind of hard when you're not really walking a mile and there's other district shoes, but it's what we've done and what we have to do is you gotta know who to talk to, who to ask, what you know, what policies and procedures you gotta follow.
9:15
Steve Evans: And so what you could get done in a regular time frame in another school, you might you have to have a different mindset here.
9:23
Steve Evans: Like you're you're gonna have to know what you have to do, who you gotta connect through, make sure you're dotting your I's and crossing your T's.
9:29
Steve Evans: So it's it's a little bit unique here, but I mean it's kind of also the partnership with ICU makes it intriguing.
9:35
Andy Goveia: So Mr.
9:36
Andy Goveia: Evans, let's stick with that for a second.
9:38
Andy Goveia: If let's say you want to schedule a practice, a game, if if you this was Unit 5, anyone in the area, you've got a ball field right out back that is yours.
9:46
Andy Goveia: You walk out there, you can put his flag in it, it's yours.
9:49
Andy Goveia: Correct.
9:49
Andy Goveia: When it comes to scheduling and getting events like that done for our teams when you aren't in this building, what does that look like for you and your role?
9:58
Andy Goveia: And what why is that so different from other schools?
10:01
Steve Evans: Well, I think what makes it different is that we have that partnership with ISU.
10:05
Steve Evans: We don't have our own facilities for certain athletics or uh other extracurriculars.
10:11
Steve Evans: So, for example, if we would talk about anything indoors, the the theater, the the gyms, easy.
10:17
Steve Evans: I can do that, I can create it so on and so forth.
10:20
Steve Evans: Softball, uh, I have to work with town of normal.
10:23
Steve Evans: Cross country, gotta work with town of normal.
10:25
Steve Evans: So you're constantly having to build a relationship with the town of normal, which is a different entity than Illinois State University.
10:30
Steve Evans: Swimming, football, baseball, all and golf is all I has to work with Illinois State University.
10:39
Steve Evans: So, um, for example, I can work on a varsity baseball schedule and they play at Duffy Bass, and I can get that done whenever I want, right?
10:46
Steve Evans: As quick as possible.
10:48
Steve Evans: Doesn't matter.
10:49
Steve Evans: Because I have to wait for the ISU schedule, home schedule to be done, and then I have to recreate our schedule based on their schedule because they get the priority for Duffy Bass.
10:58
Steve Evans: Um, Uh Soccer field, it's our own land on Adelaide Street across from the golf course.
11:03
Steve Evans: Very simple, we can manage that.
11:05
Steve Evans: So it's it's it's very unique.
11:08
Steve Evans: I'm not gonna lie to you.
11:10
Steve Evans: Does it get difficult?
11:11
Steve Evans: Absolutely.
11:12
Steve Evans: At times it's very stressful, but I think the more it's like anything in life, the more practice you get at something, and if you're highly organized, then you're able to pull it off.
11:20
Steve Evans: But you have to be patient, you gotta wait for the response, and you're not gonna get it done as quick as you want it done.
11:26
Steve Evans: But it's it's very unique.
11:27
Steve Evans: Whereas if I'm at Unify, for the example you used, I could just go out, manage my own stuff, get it done, and you don't really have this uh extra layer of approval that you need to go through.
11:41
Steve Evans: Like even for practices, I have to email ISU and do all my requests for the pool, requests for Hancock Stadium.
11:48
Steve Evans: I gotta work around their schedules.
11:50
Steve Evans: Um and it's it takes a lot of flexibility, and I will give our coaches and our supervisors and uh all those individuals for the sponsors of those areas a lot of patience.
12:01
Steve Evans: They've been very good to work with here at UI because they understand the flexibility you have to have because we might get pulled out of a field right then and there.
12:08
Steve Evans: Yeah, it's difficult, it's very difficult.
12:10
Steve Evans: Track especially.
12:12
Andy Goveia: Oh well, yeah, I just you know that yeah, I I coached junior high track for two years.
12:16
Andy Goveia: I we were at the mercy of the hour that ISU didn't need it or you guys didn't need it, or vice versa.
12:22
Andy Goveia: And we're all just sharing.
12:23
Andy Goveia: One day we shared the track, and that was that was kind of fun.
12:25
Steve Evans: Right.
12:26
Steve Evans: You have to be flexible and you have to share.
12:27
Steve Evans: Like if you're able to do that, we you can be successful here, but if you're uh unwilling to do that, it can be a very difficult time for individuals.
12:35
Andy Goveia: Yeah.
12:35
Andy Goveia: Andrea, you talked about hiring being something that's really different because it's not managed in the same way other schools might be.
12:43
Andy Goveia: Is there something that you think, though, that process gives an advantage to, where that difference helps us in some way?
12:51
Andrea Markert: Well, I mean, I think, yeah, definitely an advantage is we're well known for the work that we do with pre-service teachers.
12:58
Andrea Markert: And so I think that um we are able to get maybe a wider pool of applicants because they want to be able to work with the next generation of teachers and help shape that.
13:11
Andrea Markert: So that's one thing.
13:12
Andrea Markert: Um, another thing I think that we get from ISU is we do have really good benefits, and so I think that helps attract people, you know, our insurance benefits, our um our days off, we get personal plus time.
13:26
Andrea Markert: No other school district gets personal plus time days, so or hours, whatever you want to call it, but it's 40 of them, so it's a lot.
13:34
Andrea Markert: Um, so you know, there are definitely things that attract people here.
13:38
Andrea Markert: Also, the other thing, another benefit we get is we get free tuition and fees up to eight hours a semester.
13:46
Andrea Markert: And so if you're pursuing a master's degree, which we require, or if you're pursuing a doctorate or an additional certification or something, you can do that with no cost to yourself.
13:56
Andrea Markert: So that's another big thing that helps.
13:59
Andrea Markert: Um, I think another thing that could help too is they do a good job of putting out the jobs and listing them in a lot of different places.
14:10
Andrea Markert: Sometimes that's a positive and sometimes it's a negative because sometimes it's a higher ed place, and then people think they're applying for an ICU job instead of a high school job.
14:18
Andy Goveia: And they wonder where their undergraduate course load is.
14:21
Andrea Markert: Exactly.
14:21
Andrea Markert: Um, but then sometimes people see that and they really, you know, want to be high school teachers, and that's a positive for us as well.
14:28
Andy Goveia: So, Mr.
14:29
Andy Goveia: Roman, you talked about facilities, the building being one of your responsibilities.
14:34
Andy Goveia: That's not typical in a lot of schools where the assistant principal is coordinating logistics of a chemistry lab makeover, for example, or upgrading different pieces.
14:44
Andy Goveia: Could you talk about what that piece of your job looks like and why it's I imagine sometimes really cool, but also you might run away screaming someday from it.
14:54
Brian Rohman: Oh, absolutely.
14:54
Brian Rohman: And actually, I mean, there just to just to show how long something can take, that extra layer with ISU is there are projects that Steve started when he was assistant principal that I just finished last year.
15:05
Brian Rohman: So we got an outdoor water fountain, for example, out by our tennis courts, which is great needed, you know, greatly needed.
15:12
Brian Rohman: Um, and we finally got to a point where the last quote I was looking at was a couple of years old, and we finally had the money to pull the trigger on it.
15:19
Brian Rohman: Um, and they actually then had to like retest the water just to make sure it was still okay.
15:23
Brian Rohman: The lines were still good and all that kind of stuff.
15:25
Brian Rohman: So, you know, it's it's definitely something where the length of time can be a lot, and part of that comes from just funding sources, right?
15:32
Brian Rohman: It's not, you know, unit five has the that in 87 have that ability to now collect that one penny tax.
15:39
Brian Rohman: Unit five a couple of years ago just went through, hey, we're broke.
15:42
Brian Rohman: We need more funding.
15:43
Brian Rohman: Will you give us more of your tax money?
15:46
Brian Rohman: And unit five voters said yes, right?
15:48
Brian Rohman: So that gives them that ability to, when they need to make facility renovations, they can do it.
15:53
Brian Rohman: Whereas our process really has to take a little extra time because we don't have just a chunk, a big, big chunk of money, right?
16:00
Brian Rohman: We get some money every year to make some upgrades.
16:03
Brian Rohman: There's certain things that happen that ISU will cover and help us out with, you know, this thing happened.
16:09
Brian Rohman: We have to do it for safety, so they're gonna take care of it.
16:11
Brian Rohman: Um, those those sorts of things.
16:13
Brian Rohman: But when we need to just make some upgrades, right, we're at the whim of being able to see what we can make piece together internally, but also what can we then fundraise from donors and through other funding efforts.
16:25
Brian Rohman: And so I think just the time from beginning to completion is a lot.
16:30
Brian Rohman: I also think balancing that when, you know, other districts have someone at the district level that's in charge of it of that for all facilities, right?
16:39
Brian Rohman: So a building principal, and I'm even saying building principal, not an assistant principal, is going to go to a district meeting and say, here's my wish list.
16:46
Brian Rohman: What can you, you know, where can I get on the wish list?
16:49
Brian Rohman: And then over two or three years, those items on the wish list start to get knocked out.
16:53
Brian Rohman: And that's just not the case here, where it's falling on the assistant principal to listen, right?
16:58
Brian Rohman: Sit down with our team, figure out what are some needs.
17:00
Brian Rohman: Steve and I actually work together because he he's been around so much and knows the athletics areas so much better than I do, that he kind of has his athletics wish list, right?
17:10
Brian Rohman: I can kind of form my classroom, hallway, other type area facility wish list.
17:16
Brian Rohman: And then we have to communicate that to Andrea, and then she has to kind of prioritize that and communicate that up.
17:21
Brian Rohman: And so I kind of become the conduit for that too.
17:25
Brian Rohman: Um, also, it's not just as simple as saying, hey, we want to do list, let's, you know, let's pull the trigger.
17:30
Brian Rohman: We also have to go through ISU's procurement process because we're a state agency with state using state funds.
17:36
Brian Rohman: And so that request, you know, we have to do a project request.
17:39
Brian Rohman: There has to be several meetings before we can even get a number.
17:42
Brian Rohman: Then we have to work towards that number.
17:43
Brian Rohman: And so I will say finishing something feels great.
17:46
Brian Rohman: Getting to the finish line is enough to, you know, make my hair probably look like Steve's right here in a few years, and that's where the video would really come in handy down the road to it.
17:57
Steve Evans: So the audience knows it's more gray.
17:59
Andrea Markert: It's not even gray anymore.
18:00
Andrea Markert: You're right.
18:00
Andrea Markert: Well, at the top is gray and then white on the sides.
18:03
Brian Rohman: And in one year I would say my hair's gotten grayer.
18:06
Brian Rohman: So, you know, give me eight and we'll we'll do we'll do a comparison and thinner.
18:10
Brian Rohman: So we'll do some comparison.
18:12
Ben Webb: It's a nice way of saying you've been around here for a long time.
18:14
Ben Webb: That was a nice way of I caught that.
18:16
Ben Webb: But how does that make you feel that he's getting all this?
18:18
Ben Webb: He's getting all these accolades for like, oh, he got these bleachers and he got these new lights.
18:23
Steve Evans: And let him let him have it all.
18:25
Steve Evans: He can have all the glory.
18:27
Steve Evans: No, it's good.
18:28
Steve Evans: I mean, it I it's it's it's so hard, Andy.
18:31
Steve Evans: Your question, you know, asking us to compare to to other admin jobs at other schools, it's just it's it's so different.
18:39
Steve Evans: We haven't left it though, so we're either crazy or you know, or stupid, but either way, we're still here.
18:44
Steve Evans: I like that those are the options crazy or something.
18:47
Steve Evans: It makes you wonder, but I mean it's it's just it's so unique, yeah.
18:51
Steve Evans: Because there's so many layers, it it's not an easy job, and I don't think anyone will ever tell you that teaching's not easy.
18:58
Steve Evans: I mean, it's just it's so difficult at times to just get something done that you want it, but at the same time, like Andrea alluded to how she opened it up, was like the partnership with ISU does open a lot of avenues for us, so and then and there's a lot of perks to it as well.
19:12
Steve Evans: So it's just I mean, if you're patient and you understand the system, and I think that is something that's the most unique, is actually learning the lab school system because it's so much different than uh the other public schools.
19:25
Ben Webb: Well, and you kind of talked about mindset, so like when it comes to the three of you, I assume you are a unified team, you never have disagreements, but I'm also maybe assuming like there's three of you, so that means there's a built-in tiebreaker.
19:39
Andy Goveia: So, like, what is the team approach that you guys say someone comes in and watches the three of you for a day as a team?
19:45
Andy Goveia: Oh, what is what is that?
19:47
Andy Goveia: What would they take away from your approach as an admin team?
19:50
Andy Goveia: I I do they know us or not know us.
19:52
Andy Goveia: I think that's I assume they understand you're either crazy or stupid, and they start there.
19:57
Steve Evans: I mean, if you're only to be completely honest, if you're just talking about.
19:59
Steve Evans: Us three, and again, I can say this confidently because Andrew and I have worked together for a long time.
20:04
Andrea Markert: 20 years almost.
20:05
Steve Evans: You will see two and Brian's more that tiebreaker.
20:08
Steve Evans: Uh, and he's still, you know, this is year two for him.
20:11
Steve Evans: But you Andrea and I will be very transparent with each other.
20:13
Steve Evans: Yeah.
20:14
Steve Evans: To where if you are a bystander, you might be like, What is going on here?
20:17
Steve Evans: Do these two even get along at times?
20:18
Steve Evans: Because I've I will say my honest opinion, she'll say her honest opinion.
20:22
Steve Evans: And then we at the at the end of it all, though, we completely understand each other and we can't agree to disagree.
20:27
Steve Evans: Um, and Brian will just sit back and be like, Are these two literally just fighting in front of me?
20:32
Steve Evans: Or but uh but it's not always like that, it's not always like that at all.
20:35
Ben Webb: I like how you were introduced as like not like young and not jaded yet.
20:40
Steve Evans: Well, actually, I told him two years ago, I said, Hey, when he first came on board, I'm like, hey, just sometimes sit back because Ayner and I have years of trust with each other.
20:49
Steve Evans: And I think when you said you asked about unified, us three, we do have to be unified.
20:54
Steve Evans: Um, you have you have each other's back.
20:56
Steve Evans: If there's something that we do disagree with, we actually talk about that in obviously in a confined space of trust, and we understand how each other feel because all three of us, what we all three have in common is we are passionate about this job, and we truly care about the teachers and our students.
21:12
Steve Evans: So, like, that is the common thread that all three of us have.
21:15
Steve Evans: We love this place, we're passionate, and we want the best for every individual in this in UI.
21:21
Steve Evans: Um, but we don't always agree, Andy.
21:24
Andy Goveia: No, we don't Ben said you did.
21:25
Andy Goveia: I never said that.
21:28
Ben Webb: One of my favorite things to do is like play dumb or set people up so that yeah, just the same way you do in class.
21:33
Ben Webb: Oh, yeah.
21:33
Ben Webb: Like you introduce it as like, am I wrong?
21:35
Ben Webb: And then the kids get to say, Yeah, you're wrong.
21:37
Ben Webb: This podcast is a pedagogical experiment.
21:39
Ben Webb: Exactly.
21:40
Ben Webb: Perfect.
21:40
Ben Webb: But what else would we see?
21:42
Brian Rohman: To the to what Steve was talking about, like the the sitback.
21:45
Brian Rohman: I've I've uh described it as like I was the the child that came much later in our parents' life, and they're the brother and sister that have this great rapport.
21:54
Brian Rohman: And so they fight like that because they have that trust and and know that at the end of the day they care about each other and that they've worked together professionally for so long.
22:01
Brian Rohman: So I just sit back and kind of wait, wait it out.
22:04
Brian Rohman: And it it was an adjustment.
22:05
Brian Rohman: At first, I was like, wait, do they what what did I get myself into?
22:09
Brian Rohman: And I realized over time it's just how they communicate with each other.
22:11
Brian Rohman: Um, but I also think like what makes what I like about working on this team is if I have an idea, even if it's going to be the worst idea in the world, or the answer is no, I still have the space and I've built we've built the trust and and I appreciate the trust that has been given to me kind of reciprocally to come in and say, here's the idea, what do we think?
22:30
Brian Rohman: And if the answer is no, great, right?
22:32
Brian Rohman: And if the answer is yeah, let's try it.
22:34
Brian Rohman: And if it fails, which is usually the outcome, which I also appreciate that I've got the space and to to try some different things out and see how they work and make adjustments, um, that there's the space for that too.
22:46
Andrea Markert: And I feel really lucky because you don't want to be on a team of people that just agree all the time.
22:51
Andrea Markert: I mean, that is would be the worst type of team to be on.
22:56
Andrea Markert: And we certainly don't have that.
22:58
Andrea Markert: And so, you know, they have better ideas than I do sometimes.
23:02
Andrea Markert: Not always, but sometimes.
23:03
Andrea Markert: Um, you know, and and I love hearing their ideas and how that would work and things that I've never thought of, you know.
23:10
Andrea Markert: So, and it's nice when you give an idea and people are like, well, no, that's not gonna work because of this.
23:16
Andrea Markert: And we might just agree to disagree, but you know, we walk, like as Steve said, we walk away knowing we're really doing the best we can and we're really passionate about our jobs.
23:26
Steve Evans: Never take no one ever's, I mean, in all the years, never taken anything personally.
23:29
Steve Evans: And ultimately, like one thing that Brian and I both understand there is a hierarchy.
23:32
Steve Evans: Let's call it like it is.
23:33
Steve Evans: We can come up with great ideas, but at the same time, Andrew's the building principal.
23:37
Steve Evans: The building principal, all right, gets blamed for everything and hardly ever gets its successes.
23:43
Steve Evans: If you think about it.
23:44
Steve Evans: I mean, that's just how it's been, and it's just called leadership.
23:47
Steve Evans: Okay, I'm not asking if anyone feels sorry for her, it's part of the job.
23:50
Steve Evans: I can take it, right?
23:52
Steve Evans: But I mean, we know, like in our in our meetings or whatever agendas or anything we're talking about, ultimately it's still gonna be a herd decision.
24:00
Steve Evans: Um, and we get that no matter what.
24:03
Steve Evans: That's why it's so easy to agree to disagree, and we can table things, but it's sometimes it goes very smooth and sometimes it's bumpy, but that's just part of leading.
24:11
Andrea Markert: Well, and I will say, like, you know, Steve and I have been working together for 20 years.
24:14
Andrea Markert: He knows how to work me.
24:16
Andrea Markert: Like, he like plants the little seed.
24:18
Andrea Markert: I know you're doing it.
24:18
Andrea Markert: You know, he plants the little seed and then he comes back to it a little bit late.
24:22
Andrea Markert: Like, he knows.
24:23
Andrea Markert: Yeah, so yeah, yeah, you gotta be.
24:25
Andrea Markert: Sometimes I'll even be like, Yeah, I saw that.
24:30
Andrea Markert: I heard I heard that seed plant right there.
24:31
Andrea Markert: You gotta do not it.
24:33
Andy Goveia: I know.
24:33
Andy Goveia: Oh, I know how it is.
24:34
Andy Goveia: So what do you just try?
24:37
Andy Goveia: I gotta try everything, right?
24:38
Andy Goveia: This I love this.
24:40
Ben Webb: I mean, my favorite part of that was seeing the two of them go back and forth, but then seeing Brian in the middle of the watching.
24:45
Ben Webb: He's literally just doing that thing that he was explaining.
24:47
Ben Webb: Like, okay.
24:49
Andy Goveia: He understood his role was just to moderate, really.
24:51
Steve Evans: Okay, well, first of all, he now year two, he's just not always quiet.
24:55
Steve Evans: He's getting a lot more confident, he's come up with way, a lot, a lot of ideas.
25:00
Andy Goveia: And well, he had to drop the interim tag first.
25:02
Andy Goveia: He had to make it.
25:03
Andy Goveia: He had to make sure he signed that.
25:06
Andy Goveia: So when you think about your time, and and I think we've all been here a while now in different roles, right?
25:15
Andy Goveia: Like thinking about the lab schools, and it could be UI specific, it could be lab school specific.
25:20
Andy Goveia: One thing we're trying to tap into in all these interviews with people the first time around is what do you love about this place?
25:25
Andy Goveia: But what we want to focus on now really quick is what are what's a unique challenge you see for us because of who we are in our situation?
25:31
Andy Goveia: And the three of you, I think, have done a beautiful job today explaining the layers of complexity to this this place that we're a vibrant place, but we're a complex place.
25:39
Andy Goveia: And so, like, what unique challenges based on your role and what you do here, what or your or your whole time here?
25:45
Andy Goveia: What's a unique challenge you think we face as lab schools?
25:48
Ben Webb: And that can be a general, or that can be like, oh, here's the example that is coming to mind.
25:54
Ben Webb: And if I was anywhere else, it wouldn't be this way.
25:58
Ben Webb: But because I'm here, I have this unique challenge.
26:02
Brian Rohman: I for me, going back to the facility component of things, I we have great curriculum, we have great educators, we have great kids, we have great families, right?
26:12
Brian Rohman: We the what like the lab schools themselves can really sell themselves, but my big concern is when we look at facilities and we look at the aging of facilities and when we go to other places, you know.
26:25
Brian Rohman: I actually had a parent of UhI alums recently say their kid kind of reflected when they saw the upgrades to the school they would have gone to.
26:33
Brian Rohman: Why didn't I go to that school?
26:35
Brian Rohman: And I think at the end of the day, they would have realized the experience they had here was worth it.
26:40
Brian Rohman: But when you're talking about, at least, you know, for you know obviously when you're talking about Metcalf, those kids are are not the parents are making that decision for the kid.
26:49
Brian Rohman: But when you're talking about a 14-year-old, the parents are making part of the decision, but so is the kid.
26:54
Brian Rohman: And so if you're talking about, hey, I can make the decision between going to the place that looks new and shiny versus the place that I think I'll have a good experience, but doesn't look so new and shiny, to me, that I think is a the optics of it.
27:06
Brian Rohman: So I think the unique challenge that we have on the you high side of things is how do we make sure that we still are highlighting everything else and then making sure we're taking the opportunities to renovate when we're able to.
27:21
Brian Rohman: And whether that's full renovation or even small scale, getting some new furniture in our library, uh, making sure signage in the hallway looks up to date and modern and those, and even on the exterior of the building.
27:33
Brian Rohman: So I think that facility and the funding for that facility is really for me, um, in my role, kind of that unique challenge I see.
27:41
Ben Webb: Making sure that the people in the picture shine brighter than the building behind that may or may not look the same as it did a few years ago.
27:48
Ben Webb: Sure.
27:49
Andrea Markert: Yeah.
27:50
Andrea Markert: Um, I think a unique challenge is that we have a lot of expectations put on us um from a lot of different people, you know, from families, from the university, from ourselves.
28:03
Andrea Markert: We have a group of really high achieving, um, really hardworking people here.
28:09
Andrea Markert: And so I think a unique challenge is finding enough time in the day or over the course of a year to, you know, teach our courses.
28:19
Andrea Markert: I'm gonna do this at the teacher level, but it's also at our level too, you know, work with pre-service teachers, work with departments in the university, um, do research.
28:30
Andrea Markert: Like, where do you even find the time to do research?
28:32
Andrea Markert: Go out and work with other school districts and present.
28:36
Andrea Markert: So all of those things are kind of expectations.
28:39
Andrea Markert: They're on evaluation systems, I mean, they're on teacher evaluations, they're on evaluations for us as well.
28:45
Andrea Markert: And so I think finding the time, I mean, I don't think any educator ever has enough time in the day, but we have this additional layer of expectations on us that um other school districts may not have.
28:57
Andrea Markert: I mean, which are fantastic opportunities as well.
29:00
Andrea Markert: So there's that side of it.
29:01
Andrea Markert: You know, we get to go, you know, travel and see other lab schools and go do some amazing things and work with some amazing people outside of here as well, but it it's a time constraint.
29:13
Steve Evans: No, I completely agree.
29:15
Steve Evans: I mean, it's just so it's it's hard, it's unique.
29:17
Steve Evans: I mean, you asked the question what are some of the unique concerns or issues that we have to deal with.
29:23
Steve Evans: It's just I don't know, it's everything.
29:26
Steve Evans: It's literally here's the biggest challenge.
29:29
Steve Evans: It's the balance.
29:30
Steve Evans: It's the balance of everything.
29:31
Steve Evans: Balancing the the culture that we want to have and establish and then sustaining it.
29:36
Steve Evans: It's the balance of the constant turnover of the leadership that we've worked with at the hierarchy of the of our levels.
29:43
Steve Evans: So it's their vision, their message, you know, what it's it's the constant balance of uh the budget or the inconsistencies within the budget, which then all of a does it does snowball down to Andrew's level and then my level of what I we can get away with, the charges that ISU wants to get to us, uh the facilities that Brian's trying to upgrade, and everything else you guys are trying to do over at Metcalf.
30:05
Steve Evans: So I mean it it's a I think just the challenge, the uniqueness is finding the balance so you're not burning out your teachers and asking them to do extra duties, or always trying to come stay relative because we are a lab school, whether that's the facility upgrades or any other type type of initiatives.
30:22
Steve Evans: It's a constant challenge because we always got to make sure that uh we're doing this balance and meeting these ISU policies and procedures, but making sure our teachers have what they want to where they can still teach because that's what we are.
30:36
Steve Evans: I mean, that's the true foundation of what we why we exist is teaching the kids.
30:40
Steve Evans: And that's gonna be why our kids always come to UHI and Matt Catholic lab schools.
30:44
Steve Evans: But it the challenge is the balance.
30:46
Steve Evans: And it's money, it's facilities, it's staying relative, it's curriculum, it's personnel, it's the relationship with ISU.
30:54
Steve Evans: And it gets hard.
30:56
Steve Evans: I'm not gonna lie, it's been hard, it gets harder, uh, and it all deals with people and turnover and different visions and philosophies, and and I think that is one of the biggest challenges here is the constant changes that have happened, and then we always are trying to still keep the foundations and the fundamentals of what we were told and hired and what the lab schools are, especially over here uh at the UHI port.
31:25
Steve Evans: And it's just it's a constant, it's a constant challenge, and it is something that I think that'll always be a challenge here.
31:32
Ben Webb: So, okay, perfect world.
31:34
Ben Webb: I've got Andy's checkbook.
31:36
Ben Webb: Okay, so money's not a problem.
31:38
Steve Evans: I like it.
31:40
Ben Webb: What should the lab schools look like in that perfect world, considering you guys have been here long enough to where you can kind of know what because here's the thing you are the leaders that are steering the ship of Theseus.
31:52
Ben Webb: So my question to you is if money's not the option, if time's not the option, where do we go?
31:58
Ben Webb: What is what's the target we're aiming for?
32:00
Ben Webb: What does it look like?
32:01
Andrea Markert: So, first of all, we have completely new facilities, which we have plenty of space.
32:06
Andrea Markert: We don't have a lot of space in our building.
32:07
Andrea Markert: There it was born uh born, it was built in 1964.
32:12
Andrea Markert: Um, and we just don't have a lot of space.
32:14
Ben Webb: You're talking like floor plan of the actual building, or like we need more classrooms, like you you just want more land.
32:20
Andrea Markert: Yeah, I want more land.
32:21
Ben Webb: Outdoor space.
32:22
Andrea Markert: More yeah, our own facilities, our own athletic facilities and everything.
32:26
Andrea Markert: But I feel like too, with more space, we could grow a little bit.
32:32
Andrea Markert: Take a fake, yeah, kind of landing.
32:34
Andrea Markert: Yes, and we can have more educators here and we can have more um research done and more just more meaningful things because we are all learners.
32:46
Andrea Markert: We are all lifelong learners.
32:47
Andrea Markert: I know that's like a catchphrase type thing, you know, but we are truly lifelong learners and we all want to grow here as well.
32:54
Andrea Markert: So I think um just being able to, you know, like I don't know, like if we had more teachers here and we could kind of be in teams more and we could go out and provide PD and go get PD and and we could have, you know, maybe people have a semester off to do research, you know, they have to take a sabbatical because we have enough teachers to cover all the classes.
33:17
Andrea Markert: I mean, like it's it's I mean it's unlimited.
33:20
Steve Evans: Like it's it's it's it's yeah, it's unlimited.
33:22
Steve Evans: It's endless.
33:22
Steve Evans: Your hypothetical would be awesome if it came true.
33:26
Andrea Markert: I mean, I see us sending teachers to lab schools in other countries for a semester and hosting other teachers, you know, from other lab schools for a semester.
33:34
Andrea Markert: Like if we have the room and money and everything to do all that, we could be unstoppable.
33:41
Steve Evans: We can have a lunch program.
33:42
Steve Evans: We can have so many things.
33:43
Steve Evans: I mean, just so simple things that could even make a difference in a kid's life.
33:47
Steve Evans: Yes.
33:47
Steve Evans: Um, I would hope that comes true one day, Ben.
33:50
Steve Evans: I really do.
33:51
Ben Webb: I got his checkbook.
33:52
Andrea Markert: Well, well, that cover it is the Christmas season, Ben.
33:56
Andy Goveia: I am I am a joyful giver, but not that joyful.
34:00
Andy Goveia: Yes.
34:00
Andy Goveia: My my bank account isn't that deep.
34:03
Brian Rohman: And and just to add on to the like the the endless possibilities, we're really limited in in what we can actually host here.
34:09
Brian Rohman: And we talk all the time.
34:10
Brian Rohman: A lot happens at UHI.
34:12
Brian Rohman: I mean, we're talking about in February already, there's going to be an IHSA speech sectional tournament, which will have about 300 to 350 people in the building.
34:21
Brian Rohman: And while that's wrapping up, there's a boys' basketball game happening now in our facility.
34:26
Brian Rohman: We could have, you know, if we had more facility space, then you're talking about being able to just host more things, not just host basketball games, host basketball tournaments, hosting, you know, that just and then that just shows our space off too.
34:42
Brian Rohman: I know we get excited when we go see other schools with their new flashy bells, and that would just, you know, really truly make the lab schools a beacon in the curricular and extracurricular space.
34:51
Ben Webb: So let me put words in your mouth and you tell me if this is accurate or and I hope you extend the definition.
34:57
Ben Webb: So what I'm hearing is we want to be able to do more because what we have is enough to get by, but with more we could do so much more.
35:11
Ben Webb: Is that accurate, or would you say that's like simplifying the problem too much?
35:15
Andrea Markert: I well, I think we do better than get by.
35:17
Andrea Markert: I truly do.
35:19
Andrea Markert: Um, just because our programs are really good, our teachers are doing so much.
35:24
Andrea Markert: Um, but I think we're doing better than getting by, but yes, we could be like so much more.
35:32
Brian Rohman: But we're doing better than getting by because of the dedication of the people here that make that happen.
35:38
Brian Rohman: That are willing to have conversations of okay, I here's the problem.
35:42
Brian Rohman: How do we solve the problem?
35:43
Brian Rohman: We have a facility problem.
35:45
Brian Rohman: What can we do?
35:45
Brian Rohman: How can we get around that?
35:47
Brian Rohman: What's the you know, and and without that, then we would probably be more at that getting by so the people help that.
35:53
Steve Evans: Oh yeah, I mean, I would agree.
35:55
Steve Evans: I I think obviously if you had endless funds, Ben, we could do everything we wanted.
36:01
Steve Evans: But yeah, if there was more that was provided, then we would be able to do, we would continue to do as much as we possibly could to maximize that.
36:10
Steve Evans: But it just goes back goes back to the challenge of a balance.
36:13
Steve Evans: It truly is.
36:14
Steve Evans: It's we just gotta balance what we can, do what we can, but at the same time, you can't just do everything because it's gonna come at the expense of other people.
36:22
Steve Evans: And so I hope, Andy.
36:25
Steve Evans: I hope you just get your check out and go ahead and read it.
36:28
Steve Evans: I'll work on I'll work on finding a bunch of money around and see what I can do.
36:32
Steve Evans: Uh that must pay well.
36:34
Andy Goveia: About as good as you hire.
36:35
Andy Goveia: Okay.
36:36
Andy Goveia: And I guess that makes me a little happy that we're gonna debate around the same.
36:41
Andy Goveia: Um, this isn't in the question list, but I think you all have touched on.
36:44
Andy Goveia: I I want to ask this really quick.
36:46
Andy Goveia: What's something you're excited about right now?
36:48
Andy Goveia: Like the three of you, this conversation, as as your jobs are really unique, and you said the challenges, and but you've also there's been a joy in this conversation.
36:57
Andy Goveia: Oh, yeah.
36:58
Andy Goveia: That the three of you love what you do.
36:59
Andy Goveia: So before we get to our closing, what is something, a person, something you want to shout out, something you're excited about?
37:06
Andy Goveia: Like, what is something bringing you joy right now in your job that you want you want people to know?
37:12
Andrea Markert: Um, in all honesty, and I'm being completely honest, I'm not saying this because Ben is sitting right next to me.
37:17
Andrea Markert: I'm gonna move over a little bit.
37:18
Andrea Markert: No, I'm gonna I feel so lucky to be able to come to work and work with the people that I work with.
37:26
Andrea Markert: And that brings me great joy to see teachers trying new things and you know, doing their best and worrying about, you know, is what I'm doing effective?
37:36
Andrea Markert: And, you know, always trying to grow and be better.
37:40
Andrea Markert: That makes it really easy to come to work each day.
37:43
Andrea Markert: We have great kids, we have great colleagues.
37:46
Andrea Markert: And when you all are together and you're working towards a common goal, that makes it really easy to come to work each day.
37:52
Andrea Markert: So that's my joy, and that's why I've been doing this for so long.
37:57
Brian Rohman: I I would say for me, it's some of the student projects that have kind of happened, and there's kind of a I have a bigger scale and a smaller scale one to shout out.
38:04
Brian Rohman: So um, we had a an Eagle Scout actually do their Eagle project here this fall, and he started that his freshman year, started trying to inquire about his freshman year uh when Mike Shanley was still the assistant principal, and it they had some hard time getting traction.
38:21
Brian Rohman: Sophomore year, you know, he had to reopen communication lines with me.
38:26
Brian Rohman: That was last year, and we kind of hit some walls, and then this year it kind of got turbocharged and was able to happen.
38:31
Brian Rohman: So you're ever coming in our south entrance, you see our sign on the one side, uh, on the other side, under uh by a bench and under a tree, there's a nice flower bed that's been redone, and there's some rock laid down around there in our sign.
38:44
Brian Rohman: So that was an Eagle Scout project done by Jack Legner, and watching that finally get across the finish line and his determination, I think, and tenacity of not giving up really was a highlight for me and really highlighted what happens around it, Uh.
38:56
Brian Rohman: When when there's when there's a vision and someone really wants to do something, they're gonna go after it.
39:02
Brian Rohman: Students, faculty, administrators alike.
39:04
Brian Rohman: And so I really commend him.
39:05
Brian Rohman: And then kind of on the smaller scale, I had a freshman walk into my office this year uh around Dwali asking if they could if she and some other freshman students uh that celebrate Dwali could put up a display to educate other students about Dwali.
39:20
Brian Rohman: And that was great.
39:21
Brian Rohman: It looked amazing.
39:22
Brian Rohman: Um, and so just you know, those are those kind of things when students are coming up with ideas and and we get some of those ideas across the finish line, that's what really just adds some fuel to to keep me going in this job.
39:36
Steve Evans: Yeah, I completely agree.
39:36
Steve Evans: I mean, that that is the joy.
39:38
Steve Evans: The joy is the success of the teachers when the classroom goes great, right?
39:43
Steve Evans: You know, everyone knows when there's a good lesson.
39:45
Steve Evans: You can hear them talking about it in the copy room.
39:47
Steve Evans: The success is when the students do well, whether it's uh at a show, and at a concert, in a game, or it's a project that Brian was just alluding to.
39:55
Steve Evans: Like, so the joy is just literally the people.
39:59
unknown: I
40:00
Steve Evans: Love my job.
40:01
Steve Evans: Like I have more, I have fun every every day.
40:04
Steve Evans: Not every day is great.
40:06
Steve Evans: There is some bad moments in the day, but when you step back and kind of look at UhI and you look at the lab schools, and I look at the people that we've worked with for the 20 years, at least I've been here.
40:16
Steve Evans: Um, and I've literally enjoyed it.
40:17
Steve Evans: And that's just it's easy for me to say that.
40:20
Steve Evans: I like getting up every day, I like coming to work to Uh, I like the people I work with.
40:24
Steve Evans: Um, and I just think what gets me through every day, and I'm not just saying this because I'm on the podcast for the first time in my life, is that like uh I don't take this place for granted.
40:32
Steve Evans: Like I do not.
40:33
Steve Evans: Like I know we did a lot of comparisons in other schools.
40:36
Steve Evans: The reason we have left here is because the people, it is a pain in the butt to work here sometimes.
40:42
Ben Webb: Hey, yeah, I got a sensor button now.
40:44
Ben Webb: So I don't know.
40:45
Ben Webb: Oh, good.
40:46
Steve Evans: You didn't need it.
40:46
Steve Evans: That's good.
40:46
Steve Evans: I didn't I pause myself.
40:48
Steve Evans: Um, but I it's it truly is it's a it's a joy.
40:51
Steve Evans: Like the people we work with is great, and I think there's some individuals who have bad days here, and I think my advice to them on this podcast, if they ever listen to it, is you know, remember the good days because you're gonna have bad days no matter what.
41:03
Steve Evans: But I'm telling you, grass is not always greener, brother.
41:06
Steve Evans: Like this is this is a great place.
41:07
Steve Evans: I'm loving it, and so I think that is the joy, and being able to be surrounded by people who all have the same mission, which is teach kids, become better learners, lifelong learners, or better citizens, and that is the common goal here.
41:20
Steve Evans: So I don't know, I don't know why you you wouldn't be joyful if you worked here.
41:25
Andy Goveia: Yeah.
41:25
Andy Goveia: All right, Brian and Steve, every podcast, your first time on.
41:28
Andy Goveia: We got the our fast five for you.
41:30
Andy Goveia: Five questions.
41:31
Andy Goveia: Do I just answer them as fast as I can?
41:33
Andy Goveia: No, get ready.
41:34
Andy Goveia: Who is the person that most led you into education?
41:40
Steve Evans: Led me into education.
41:41
Andy Goveia: Yeah, who inspired you to become a teacher or an athletic director?
41:47
Ben Webb: See, now you do you you went from this is the fast five to now he gets time to think.
41:51
Ben Webb: It's a thoughtful five.
41:52
Steve Evans: That's what yeah, that's what I was.
41:53
Ben Webb: Well, hey, I got a cricket button too, so wow.
41:56
Steve Evans: You I'll let you go first, Brian.
41:58
Brian Rohman: Um, it was probably my high school speech coach, uh, uh Mrs.
42:01
Brian Rohman: Christine Mangold.
42:03
Brian Rohman: She uh she believed in me as a high school student, a speech competitor.
42:07
Brian Rohman: And when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, uh and I I decided I want to go in education, she gave me the opportunity to go back to my alma mater of Metamora Township High School to do some coaching those first couple of years I was in college, and that led me a path eventually to UhI because she knew the coaches here and and got me in the door here, and I haven't looked back.
42:27
Steve Evans: This is terrible because there's not like an individual who just said, Hey, this is why I want to be a teacher, because I actually wanted to be a physical therapist.
42:34
Steve Evans: Okay, but I just loved coaching so much, so I wanted to be a coach.
42:37
Steve Evans: However, the individual I most of you guys know is Mike Troll.
42:41
Steve Evans: He was my biology teacher, and he was also an individual who kind of coached me at the high school level football.
42:46
Steve Evans: Um, he's the reason I actually took the job at UI, though.
42:49
Steve Evans: So he was he was a he's always been a role model for me, but he literally is the individual, and which why I even accepted the job back in 2006, because he called, he was working with Andrew and told me there was a biology opening, and I said, I there's no way in hell I want to work for UI.
43:03
Steve Evans: I literally said that.
43:04
Steve Evans: Remember, I was young and stupid.
43:05
Steve Evans: Oh, yeah.
43:06
Steve Evans: I missed that.
43:07
Andy Goveia: For context determinants, you went to Olympia?
43:08
Andy Goveia: I went to Olympia High School, Olympia Spartans, okay.
43:10
Andy Goveia: So rival, division rival, conference rival.
43:13
Andy Goveia: There's some there's historical tension back back in the day.
43:16
Steve Evans: But yeah, that's all done now.
43:18
Steve Evans: That's watering the bridge.
43:19
Steve Evans: And he said, Hey, don't be stupid, don't you know, don't be, don't be young.
43:22
Steve Evans: Come take the job or take the interview.
43:24
Steve Evans: And I did, and I have no regrets.
43:27
Steve Evans: So he he is a major person that you know opened the doors for me, and I will always be grateful for him.
43:37
Andy Goveia: What's your go-to caffeine to get you through the day?
43:40
Brian Rohman: Uh, coffee now.
43:41
Brian Rohman: Pre-pandemic, didn't drink a drop of it, post-pandemic.
43:45
Brian Rohman: It's like I'm, you know, at least one in the morning, sometimes, you know, a little extra in the afternoon.
43:49
Steve Evans: Yeah, I have two black coffees and a diet cook before 8:30.
43:52
Andy Goveia: Favorite subject when you were a student.
43:58
Ben Webb: Former English teacher, what's your answer?
44:00
Brian Rohman: Uh, well, I probably was English.
44:03
Brian Rohman: I did enjoy writing papers.
44:05
Brian Rohman: Uh, I think when I got into high school, I started having a more adversarial relationship with some of my teachers.
44:10
Brian Rohman: I actually really enjoyed physics in high school.
44:11
Brian Rohman: I had a great physics teacher.
44:12
Brian Rohman: He was someone who really still enjoys writing papers.
44:15
Brian Rohman: I'm so bored.
44:18
Brian Rohman: I guess gasp.
44:19
Brian Rohman: But uh, I had a I had a great physics teacher who was an engineer who, for life circumstances, had to go into education as a psychological.
44:26
Brian Rohman: I took two years of physics, didn't need to.
44:28
Brian Rohman: I thought I was gonna be a music teacher at one point, so wow.
44:33
Steve Evans: Yeah, good for you.
44:34
Steve Evans: Uh science, obviously.
44:36
Steve Evans: That's why I did the continentary biology.
44:38
Steve Evans: But it's the best.
44:39
Steve Evans: Yeah.
44:40
Andy Goveia: What are you?
44:41
Andy Goveia: You can choose one here.
44:42
Andy Goveia: What are you reading, watching, or listening to right now?
44:48
Steve Evans: Reading, nothing.
44:49
Steve Evans: Watching Sports Center usually when I get home.
44:53
Steve Evans: And what was the other one?
44:54
Andy Goveia: Listening to any music you're vibing with right now.
44:56
Andy Goveia: Listening.
44:59
Andy Goveia: Um you didn't have to answer all of them.
45:04
Andy Goveia: You're choosing to answer.
45:06
Andy Goveia: I'm choosing.
45:07
Steve Evans: What is my son got me involved in to listen to Treaty Oak Revival?
45:12
Steve Evans: So Okay.
45:13
Steve Evans: Yeah.
45:14
Steve Evans: Love that.
45:15
Steve Evans: And I love movies, by the way.
45:18
Brian Rohman: Uh I haven't read last thing I read was um uh something called My Dear Hamilton, which is like a retelling of a Hamilton from Eliza's standpoint, which is really interesting.
45:27
Brian Rohman: It's like historical and kind of some fictional elaboration.
45:30
Brian Rohman: Um, just finished watching Stranger Things.
45:33
Brian Rohman: Uh, I'm excited to see that finally end.
45:35
Brian Rohman: That's feels like it's been going on forever.
45:37
Brian Rohman: And uh Love early 2000s, punk rock.
45:41
Brian Rohman: Blink 182, oh yeah, Fallout Boy.
45:44
Brian Rohman: That yeah, that's all great time.
45:45
Steve Evans: I thought it was something newer listening to.
45:48
Andy Goveia: I took it my way.
45:49
Andy Goveia: I love it.
45:50
Andy Goveia: And then finally, for you two, favorite thing about the lab schools.
45:57
Steve Evans: The people.
45:57
Steve Evans: It's the people, it's literally the people, all stakeholders, even our parents and guardians, everybody.
46:03
Steve Evans: Top down, love it all.
46:05
Brian Rohman: The opportunities that the people get coming here changes your life, and just the opportunities that get created for our kids by everyone, I think is top-notch.
46:19
Andy Goveia: Andrea Markert, Steve Evans, Brian Roman, the UHI admin team.
46:24
Andy Goveia: Thank you all for today's conversation.
46:26
Andy Goveia: This has been awesome.
46:28
Andrea Markert: Thank you.
46:29
Andrea Markert: Thank you.
46:29
Andrea Markert: It was a pleasure.
46:31
Andy Goveia: To learn more about University High School, you can visit us online at uh dot illinoistate.edu.
46:39
Andy Goveia: Thanks for listening.