By Tom McKinney
Without Doug and Randy, Mini-School would not be the same program. Doug and Randy, over 23 years, have been able to handle the troubled kids in Mini-School, help them graduate, and send them on their way to meaningful lives.
The Mini-School students have a lot of respect for Doug and Randy. The students receive a lot of respect in return, because Mini-School is like one big family. Doug and Randy are not only our teachers, they are our friends. I think if you are going to accomplish anything being a teacher you have to have a good relationship with the students. Doug and Randy have that special relationship with Mini-School kids.
If Doug and Randy were not in charge of Mini-School, most of the students would not graduate on time or would drop out. They help us by keeping us on top of our credit needs and by helping us build good programs to earn our credits. They teach us English and social studies and many other things. They take us on trips, they help us with our problems, they keep us focused, and they encourage us to come to school and get the job done.
Replacing Doug and Randy in Mini-School would be very hard. Doug and Randy are basically irreplaceable. The only person that comes to my mind who understands Mini-School students the way Doug and Randy do is Joe Komerak.
Most of the graduates of ’93 owe a lot to Doug and Randy for all they do for us. And that’s one of the main reasons I’m graduating this year, because of Doug and Randy.