Reconnecting With a Friend Now at Ankeny High School

I first became familiar with this great educator when he was a 6th grade classroom teacher at Franklin Elementary in Council Bluffs some years back. Tom Honz's career has now led him to Ankeny High School, a building of 1,500 students, as a certified Media Specialist with five people working on his team.

I visited Tom on Tuesday, April 11th, in the Media Center over lunch along with his wife Kristin; Polk Suburban UniServ Director Randy Richardson; and Mrs. Brenda Colby, High School principal. It was Tom's wife Kristin whose job change brought them to central Iowa. Kristin works for Iowa Department of Economic Development and is the progam director for AmeriCorps in Iowa. I reconnected with Kristin as a member of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service a year ago. On Tuesday, I joined Kristin as a part of the "site visit" to Habitat for Humanity, located in Ankeny, in which there are 18 AmeriCorps workers assigned.

Tom said when he left the Council Bluffs Community Schools each Media Specialist had 5 buildings they were assigned. As a Media Specialist left or retired, they weren't replaced. This year Media Specialists in Council Bluffs now have 7 buildings they serve. As we all know, the 1993 General Assembly struck from the Iowa Code the requirement to have certified Media Specialist and Guidance Counselors. It has continued to be a legislative priority of ISEA's to re-write the requirement back into the Iowa Code.

Kudos to the Ankeny Community Schools for your acknowledgment in the key role Media Specialist play in a student's success!