Despite rankings of area schools, students succeed

Panther Valley School Board member Irene Genther is tired of all the negativity about the school district's mediocre state rankings.

She knows that there are a lot of success stories in the school district, so she has begun compiling a list of Panther Valley graduates who make the dean's lists of various universities.

The school's Superintendent Dennis Kergick has begun a weekly email newsletter that highlights positive things about the district, like students participating in science projects, after-school academic events, sports achievements and fun things students are doing. This is Kergick's first year as superintendent, and his optimism is catching.

It's not just Panther Valley that has been working to compliment positive behavior.

In the Jim Thorpe Area School District, the Penn-Kidder Elementary Campus was designated as a PBIS Model School Site for the 2014-15 school year. PBIS is an acronym for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. The designation was by the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network. The local school was one of only three in eastern Pennsylvania to achieve the designation.

It was through the efforts of David McAndrew Jr., principal of the Penn-Kidder campus, that such an honor was attained. It was because of programs he initiated to reward positive behavior in the school.

Despite state rankings, Genther, Kergick, McAndrew and virtually all other education professionals know there are plenty of success stories emerging from local schools.

There are valid reasons for the low rankings, but there also are reasons that many local graduates are attaining high levels of success.

Just some of the local success stories:

• In this year's Cotton Bowl game, Michigan State defeated Baylor. It's the fourth year in a row Michigan State won a major bowl game. An assistant coach at Michigan State is Dave Warner, who graduated from Lehighton High School.

• Dr. Amy O'Gurek is a pediatrician at the prestigious Hershey Medical Center.

• Richard C. Gregory is a cancer researcher living in Framingham, Massachusetts. He graduated from Weatherly High School.

• Maj. Gen. Harold Robert Parfitt was governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1975 to 1979. He's a native of Coaldale and graduated from the former Coaldale High School.

• Denny Seiwell was a drummer for former Beatles member Paul McCartney and his band Wings. He's a Lehighton High School graduate.

• Craig Zurn is a bank president. He graduated from Jim Thorpe High School.

• One of the most famous abstract artists in the world is Franz Kline, a Lehighton High School graduates. Some of his paintings have sold for several million dollars each. His name has been an answer on the TV show "Jeopardy."

We could go on and on with stories of local high school graduates who have become successes in their respective fields.

What makes a person a success? One of the ingredients is individual effort.

Also, it is important that students who have the desire to succeed are given the tools, incentive and especially the support and guidance they need.

Sure, it is vital that students who need an extra boost receive it. On the other hand, the students who strive to achieve cannot be ignored.

Obviously from the many local graduates who have made it big in business, medicine, music, art, sports and countless other vocations, there is a good educational foundation here.