Supercast

Transcription coming soon.

Brandon Conti:
Our number one priority is the safety of all students, teachers, and staff.

Mark Nelson:
You know, you start watching that weather and you know when those days are coming and you don't sleep well that night. You usually just get up and get over to the school.

Nathan Morgan:
No slack time. You gotta watch the timing of the storm and the duration. The commute as well, so you need to be on top of all of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's that time of year when rain, sleet, snow, and ice can create some slick combinations around our schools and buildings.

On this episode of the Supercast, we talk with custodians who are constantly working throughout the day and sometimes into the night to prevent slips, trips and falls from students, teachers, staff, and parents. Listen and find out how you can help.

We're here at West Jordan High School talking with two of our premier custodians about safety during the winter. Introduce yourselves and let's talk a little bit about how to stay safe.

Nathan Morgan:
Okay, I'm Nathan Morgan. I'm the head custodian over here at West Jordan High School.

Mark Nelson:
I'm Mark Nelson. I'm the head custodian at the district office.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now I know that nobody works harder than custodians when the snow falls and starts to stick to the ground. And there are no contract hours when that happens. Whenever it hits, it hits. I know, especially at the district office as I talk with Mark on a regular basis, you're there at all hours. Tell us a little bit about what it's like to clear that snow when it hits hard.

Mark Nelson:
You know, you start watching that weather and you know when those days are coming and you don't sleep well that night. You usually just get up and get over to the school. The district office, we're over there by Jordan Landing and airport number two. So we get the drift wind coming across that airport. So yeah, you know you're going to have a job that morning, but you know we enjoy it. We want to make sure our staff when they show up to work, they don't have to worry about how do I get to the door.

You know, after 33 years of doing this, I love to hear those compliments and the people say thank you for getting us in the building this morning. And you know, we love it.

Anthony Godfrey:
You do a great job. Now tell me about a high school. Activity starts at the high school at 5 a.m. They're lifting weights at 5 a.m. So there's no slack time.

Nathan Morgan:
No slack time. You got to watch the timing of the storm and the duration and since the commute is well. So you need to be on top of all those. So sometimes you get here at 3 a.m. just so you can have it cleared for the athletic kids at 5 a.m.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Now the way my teenage son looks at it, he thinks, hey, the snow is still falling, I'm going to wait till all the snow has fallen. And that's a great stall tactic. But that's not how you work.

Nathan Morgan:
No.

Mark Nelson:
No, no, we show up so that our doors can be open. But if the snow just keeps dropping, we're out there as long as it takes. A lot of times we will clear a path if it's a super bad day. We ask everybody, to please use our path. Please don't walk through the foot of snow. Use the path we've given you. We will get to the rest of it. We care about the space and getting it cleared from edge to edge. That's kind of something in custodial, edge to edge is where we want it. But please give us that space. So use that space and be safe.

Nathan Morgan:
Agreed.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do high school kids ever cut the corner of the sidewalk and go through the snow?

Nathan Morgan:
Yes. Sometimes they go and they park over the curb and it just gives you barely enough room for the plow to get through. Sometimes if I see them sitting in their truck, they're waiting for the building to open because the doors unlock at 5.30 and they're there at 5. “I'll just say, hey, can you back up just a bit so I can get this clear?” They're always very respectful.

Anthony Godfrey:
I didn't think about that. You are clearing snow around student drivers. That's a whole other factor. So we hire an outside company to clear the parking lots. But our custodians are responsible for the sidewalks. And you, Mark, talked about people taking the route that has been cleared, giving you time to get edge to edge and do the rest of the sidewalks.

Mark Nelson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's the advice for those who are arriving at work on a snowy day to help keep them safe and give you the space to complete the work?

Mark Nelson:
Yeah. Be it our secretaries or the students. They're wearing their outfit today. They don't care that it's snowed. Please carry the nice shoes that go with your outfit in your bag. Wear something that's appropriate for the sidewalks and for getting yourself into the building. We've had a couple falls over my career that have been pretty bad. And it's high heels usually. And it's, “Hey, put the nice shoes in the bag. Bring them into the building. Then change.”

Anthony Godfrey:
So wear footwear that matches the weather.

Mark Nelson:
Yes.

Nathan Morgan:
Let us know if there's any ice out there that we missed. If you see something, report it right away so we can get it fixed. We'll get on the mule. We have all our mules on standby on snow mornings. They're ready to go. All gassed up. All salted up. Even when I finish around the building, I'll go fill it up just for that emergency call for a--

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so you're ready to go out of the spot?

Nathan Morgan:
We're ready to go, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. And I made the mistake years ago in the high school parking lot of walking up. And I saw a dark spot by my car. I'm like, “I'm sure it's just wet.” And it was ice. Watch for the dark spots. Don't assume that they're wet. I took a pretty good spill. And yes, we did pull it up on the security camera. And yes, it did look hilarious. How about taking a different route? Do you find that people take the sidewalk they're used to, even if there's one right next to it that's been cleared? They'll walk their normal path, right through the snow?

Mark Nelson:
We get that, yes. We get that. And our goal is to get to every sidewalk so you can have your normal day. But please use those paths we've cleared already. And know that we're salting those, so that's the safest path into the building. And we're putting down-- I mean, in your building, I don't know how many pallets you go through of salt, but I go through two pallets of ice melt a season.

Anthony Godfrey:
Two pallets?

Mark Nelson:
Yeah. And that's about 2,500 pounds per pallet of ice melt. So yeah.

Nathan Morgan:
About two years ago, we went through about eight pallets. It was quite a good time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, now let's talk about two years ago.

Mark Nelson:
22, 23.

Anthony Godfrey:
Two years ago with our two back-to-back snow days.

Nathan Morgan:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
That was remarkable. And I think it was fairly unique to Jordan because, like you described, Mark, we have the wind, we have the lake effect, and we could not clear our campuses fast enough to bring people back in. I'm still a hero in my neighborhood because we had two snow days in a row. And actually, the neighborhood kids came and cleared my driveway as a thank you for the snow day.

Mark Nelson:
That's cool. That's awesome.

Anthony Godfrey:
But anyway, tell me about what it was like working through that two-day blizzard.

Nathan Morgan:
The first day was kind of overwhelming. I remember being out on the front sidewalk about seven, eight o'clock at night. And then I got the text from the custodial department that says, "Go home. We're closing school tomorrow. Go home. Get warmed up. Come back tomorrow morning, clear the snow." And that was kind of a relief because it was the drifts from the sidewalk, from the road to the sidewalk, the plow can't even get through. It was stuck.

Mark Nelson:
It was crazy.

Nathan Morgan:
It was crazy.

Mark Nelson:
Yeah, we had 10, 12-foot piles of snow from doing that. We had to bring in grounds crew to remove those piles at a lot of the facilities because it was so bad. And that's another shout-out to our grounds crew. They help us so much. If we have an area that our mules won't do or this or that, they will get over and help us when they can. And they're an integral part of that us too. And then also our mechanics. All of our equipment needs maintenance. So our mechanics and maintenance, they are awesome when it comes to helping us keep that equipment running. I'm currently using 16-year-old equipment, but it still keeps running and taxpayers are getting their greatest bang for the buck on this equipment because we do keep it running until it doesn't run.

Nathan Morgan:
100%, they are amazing. We have 20-year-old mules out there and they break and they're back up and going the next day without a beat.

Anthony Godfrey:
We do really have hundreds of great employees who dive in, do the work. And like you said, at all hours, 3 in the morning. And I know that on some of our snow days in the past, it's been a delivery day for Cisco. So then we have our nutrition services managers here in the snow, even though everyone else is home. Custodians are here, nutrition services managers are here to receive that food delivery. So there's a lot that goes on even when it feels like things are shut down. I can't thank you guys enough for the work that you do. You do keep us safe and warm and ready to learn. And that is no small feat and it's a 24/7 job, I know.

Nathan Morgan:
Oh, yeah, definitely.

Mark Nelson:
We enjoy it.

Nathan Morgan:
And I love it. I love this job. Yeah.

Mark Nelson:
Yeah. And the poor people in the portables is another thing. We worry about them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. The whole portables is a whole separate thing.

Mark Nelson:
When we were in elementaries, all those portables have to be cleared too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Those metal ramps and metal staircases that are not very winter-friendly.

Mark Nelson:
Yeah. And pre-send your kids to school with appropriate gloves and things. They love to go outside even when it's...

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. That's true. That's true. They need to dress warm.

Mark Nelson:
Uh-huh.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Well, you guys do a tremendous job. These are great tips on staying safe in the winter. Take the cleared path, wear good footwear, and be ready to walk on the cleared sidewalks until everything is cleared edge to edge.

Mark Nelson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
But thank you very much. Thanks for taking the time today. And hopefully, we can continue a year like we've had. Lots of snow in the mountains, over 100% snowpack up there, and nice dry roads and sidewalks.

Nathan Morgan:
Oh, yes. Counting on it.

Mark Nelson:
We're ready. We're ready for it though.

Nathan Morgan:
We need it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. All right.

Stay with us. When we come back we'll hear from more employees who are working hard to avoid falls and other accidents in winter weather and throughout the year.

Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Brandon and Bonnie talking about how we avoid accidents, spills, injuries, especially during the icy and snowy season. Thanks for coming. Introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the role you play in Jordan School District.

Bonnie Brennan:
Okay, my name is Bonnie Brennan. I'm the director of insurance services, which kind of encompasses a few little things. All of the workers comp, accidents, property casualty, as well as the employee benefits.

Brandon Conti:
My name is Brandon Conti. I'm the risk management coordinator. I deal with all the compliance for the buildings, all the safety-related compliance, and fire code issues I deal with.

Anthony Godfrey:
That encompasses a lot. I don't think people realize. We've got 75 buildings or so, 57,000 students, 9,000 employees, and all the parents and patrons and others who come to buildings. So there are lots of opportunities for, unfortunately, now and then an accident to happen or something to go wrong. We work hard to mitigate those. But let's talk about some of the things that those who are visiting our schools or working in our schools can do to minimize the possibility of injury.

Bonnie Brennan:
Well, I think the most important thing is to just be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention when you're walking in. Watch for that black ice. Make sure you're going into the entrance that's been plowed and salted.

Brandon Conti:
Yeah, I just think we always need to be aware of our surroundings. I mean, that's why I deal with all. We come through the buildings and check everything regularly. But especially this time of year with winter weather, our biggest concern is always slips, trips, and falls. And understanding what door to use, like you said and just being aware of all your surroundings. One of the big things we push is proper footwear. How many people are wearing such horrible shoes for winter weather? Just even high heels. Shoes with no tread at all. Some of our hugest concerns right there.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've been guilty of that. I have noticed. You slip a little bit. You look and I guess I have worn these dress shoes beyond their natural life.

Brandon Conti:
So one of our big concerns right now is when students are being dropped off, we want to have one path of entrance really clear. So we're really pushing that towards the custodians to have the main entrance of the school cleared first. So that everyone knows that's the entrance to the building.

Anthony Godfrey:
So when you pull up and it's been snowy, you may have to adapt.

Brandon Conti:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
You may not be able to take the same route that you normally take. Walking in or driving in. And that goes back to what you said earlier, building some time so that you can adapt and adjust and not be in a hurry. Tell us about some of the other things that are involved in helping avoid risk and keeping people safe in Jordan District.

Bonnie Brennan:
If you see something, say something. Our custodians can't be everywhere. So if you see something that's been spilled, hang around there until someone is able to get a sign up.

Anthony Godfrey:
About driving onto campus and our parking lots, which our parking lots are cleared by a third party.

Brandon Conti:
That's correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us about what people could do to avoid accidents in our parking lots.

Brandon Conti:
First and foremost would be to slow down. Everyone wants to drop their students off so fast that it just causes such a problem, especially if there is snow on the ground. So that's what I'd always say is just slow down and then just pay attention to all the surroundings around you.

Bonnie Brennan:
Yeah, because then you don't, if you're slowing down, you don't have to brake abruptly. And if the roads are icy, then you're going to slip.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's easy for us to maybe talk about some of this and maybe people listening are saying, well, yeah, there's a yellow sign that there's a wet floor. I'll pay attention to that. Or if the roads are icy, of course, I'm going to drive more slowly. But that's not the experience in the moment when you're feeling the stress of getting to school on time when other things are going on. We can’t always count on that. So I think it's an important reminder. We all know we ought to do those things. It's remembering to do them in the moment that's tricky.

Bonnie Brennan:
Right. Be a little late. A little late for work or whatever, as long, you know, but just be safe. Get there safely.

Brandon Conti:
Some of the strange ones we see sometimes is like parents will be in such a hurry that they don't really clear off their car all the way. And then suddenly that's a big deal because then you can't see their turn signals, you can't see that they're braking, their lights aren't on, and then cars in front of you behind you don't even see you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have never done that, Brandon. I've never done that.

Bronnie Brennan:
Common sense.

Brandon Conti:
Clear the snow off your car.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a fair point.

Brandon Conti:
Their whole windshield is still covered in snow, except for the windshield wipers only. You can't see around you because you've got to be able to see all around you when you're looking.

Bonnie Brennan:
Especially when there's children around.

Brandon Conti:
Crosswalks.

Bonnie Brennan:
You don't know what they're doing.

Brandon Conti:
You don't see.

Anthony Godfrey:
Expect the unexpected. Expect the unexpected when you're driving around students.

Brandon Conti:
This year has not been too heavy on snowfall, but it's been so cold, so ice is such a concern.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Brandon Conti:
Lots and lots of ice melts going around the district right now. So always be aware of the ice melt and the salt.

Anthony Godfrey:
People may underestimate how early our buildings are used. We have kids lifting weights at high schools at 5.30 in the morning and food deliveries and food being prepared even earlier. Bus drivers arriving before five o'clock. So it's very complicated. It's a lot of work, and I appreciate everything that you both do to help keep us safe out there.

Bonnie Brennan:
Thank you, and we appreciate everyone out there in all of buildings.

Brandon Conti:
Yeah, this has been great. Everyone's very in compliance, and I appreciate everyone's hard work.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

(upbeat music)

Doug Meacham:
Players see me getting rattled and riled up. It's a natural tendency for them to start to lose focus and I'm trying to look for every advantage for us to win a game.

Carlo Mulford:
Culture has really become a tight-knit group of friends and success that the school has never seen in basketball.

Cale Barclay:
We made it to the semifinals last year and now, right now, we're on pace to hopefully win the region.

Stockton:
Confidence is the biggest thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are in it to win it on and off the basketball court at Herriman High School.

On this episode of the Supercast, it's “game on” as we talk to players and coach Doug Meacham about their love of basketball and how it has built character and a culture of teamwork at Herriman High School.

We're here at Herriman High School today to talk with the boys' basketball coach Coach Meacham. Thanks for taking time to talk with us. You're a counselor here, a coach here. It's a very busy season with class changes and the season well underway so thank you very much for taking the time.

Doug Meacham:
You bet. I appreciate having the opportunity.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what you love about coaching basketball.

Doug Meacham:
There's probably easier to talk maybe what I don't love because there's so many things that are just awesome. I think just listening to these guys talk about their experience in terms of how they approach things and their leadership qualities, to just watch young men grow, is to me the biggest satisfaction. To get some of those emails back after things have happened in their life there are great accomplishments. That to me, that's the reward. Basketball is a part of it, but you know I think molding young men has been the biggest thing. As former coaches have had such a huge impact on me, you know, I hope to do the same.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of those coaches in your life that have had an impact.

Doug Meacham:
Well, I go back to my high school coaches Coach Knight, Coach Eccles, guys who always would say things like, you know, “The things that you're learning now will impact you later in life” and they do. And how they handled their business with their families with just them as individual people was impressive to me. I was fortunate to be a walk-on at the University of Utah with Coach Majerus for a few years. I was a grad assistant with him and so I was around just a phenomenal team and a staff that I just learned so much. It was just amazing to experience that part of it and when I was sitting there sitting at some of those practices is where I thought you know I probably need to do something along the lines of coaching basketball.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic I love that you've built on those experiences and are now providing those to so many other students. When I mentioned to your principal that I was going to be interviewing you for the podcast, other principals overheard that and said “Oh yeah, he's the guy you want to talk to.” So your reputation is really out there for being such a great coach and a great support to these students. Tell me what is your how would you summarize your approach to coaching?

Doug Meacham:
My approach to coaching is how I would want my own son to be coached. I want to give them a hundred percent. I don't want to ask them to do something that I wasn't willing to do myself. I loved being around teams that understood how to play for the team. Those are the special players and sometimes that takes a few years to break some habits of looking for their own. The generation we live in now is you know you get on these AAU teams and it's all about I've got to figure out how to get my shots and I got to get my opportunity. To combat that with your success will grow once your teammates are thriving. I think as you look at you know Carlo, his last game he had six assists and one turnover. He's a guy that can go and make a basket anytime he wants but he's understanding that it all comes back to him when he puts his teammates first. He'll carry that message into his life.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, that sense of teamwork is so important and it translates into so many other situations well beyond high school basketball. Tell me about the impact you've talked about watching young men grow. Tell me about the growth that you've seen and the changes that you've seen in these student athletes who've been part of the program.

Doug Meacham:
These guys– for me, it's they've had a work ethic. This is one of the first groups that I have to kick them out of the gym. It's one of those things where if they can't get into the gym here they go find a church. They understand that that's part of it and they've learned to fall in love with the process. Every time after a win I'll say that this maybe isn't how you imagine this win went but it was awesome. Because the expectations for each individual are all slightly different sometimes but they can always have that feeling of you know we did it. It was accomplishment. That's what's fun to watch, is the little switch go over to my role might be that I take three shots this game but I'm gonna make them the best three shots and do my part with the little things that don't get a lot of attention.

Anthony Godfrey:
Figure out your part and make the most of that. How do you set a tone during the game? I always admire how coaches are able to contain themselves and make the most. I mean there's only so much you can do during the game, the preparation comes before that. Talk to me about that sideline mentality.

Doug Meacham:
Yeah, I always tell our parents and players I'm gonna be on the refs for about five percent of the game the other 95 I'm gonna be coaching and teaching. I think if players see me getting rattled and riled up it's a natural tendency for them to start to lose focus and I'm trying to look for every advantage for us to win a game. If I lose focus with one of my players because they think the ref is taking it to us then they're losing the big picture of it. So I think having some experience has helped me with that but I also know that you know I always tell these guys before a game “Hay's in the barn”. Some of them I had to explain what that term meant but they understand we did our work and now let's go and enjoy the rewards.

Anthony Godfrey:
You mentioned hay in the barn. Have you ever run the picket fence?

Doug Meacham:
Similar versions, just haven't called it the picket-

Anthony Godfrey:
Look, I want to be assistant coach for one day for two minutes and I want you to let me call ‘run the picket fence.’

Doug Meacham:
Well, the problem is some of these guys haven't even seen Hoosiers.

Anthony Godfrey:
They haven’t? That's required.

Doug Meacham:
I agree there are some I've shown them scenes and we'll finish Hoosiers

Anthony Godfrey;
I think UHSAA has a requirement in the rulebook that you have to watch Hoosiers.

Doug Meacham:
I agree.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I can't thank you enough for coaching here at Herriman High School and for the tremendous positive impact you're having on these boys.

Doug Meacham:
I appreciate it. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Don't go away. When we come back players talk about how they play hard and learn together and support each other as a team with basketball helping them learn lots of life lessons.

Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Break:
It's something all parents need to know in the event of an emergency in one of our schools. Hi, I'm Matt Alvernaz, a former law enforcement officer at Army Ranger, now school safety coordinator for Jordan School District. We're talking about the Standard Response Protocol, or SRP.

Knowing SRP will help to keep everyone safe and informed if there is an emergency in one of our schools or buildings. Standard Response Protocol provides consistent, clear, shared language and actions for all students, staff, first responders, and parents. It is language that can be applied to any emergency situation. The SRP actions now used in all schools statewide are HOLD, SECURE, LOCKDOWN, EVACUATE, and SHELTER. To educate yourself and your children on these actions, visit schoolsafety.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
Coach tell us about these three players we're going to talk with.

Doug Meacham:
These are our three captains and they represent our team and program and they were selected by teammates and coaches. They embody the word student athlete. When you have leaders that go out not only say they get out and do you know what's needed to be done. This is Stockton. He's a senior and he's got an offer to go play at Green River. It'll probably be some others you know down the road but just a great student. He's our sharpshooter on the court. This is Carlo Mulford he's been starting here since he's a freshman and he's just a gym rat. And gym rat in basketball terms is awesome. Just means he wants to stay after as long as possible.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Doug Meacham:
And it's it's why he's where he's at.

Anthony Godfrey:
He keeps Kobe hours.

Doug Meacham:
Yes, he does. He understands that and he's got an offer to SUU and some other junior colleges and others are interested in. He’s only a junior so he'll have others coming down the road. And Cale Barclay here he's committed to SUU and 4.0 student. You know, all the teachers when they talk about any one of these guys they always say “Hey, they are great in their classes” and they understand that. They take that as a priority and it's really easy to coach these guys.

Anthony Godfrey:
Introduce yourselves guys and tell me about being part of Coach Meacham's team.

Stockton:
I'm Stockton. Just since Meach has been here, it's been two years that I played for him now. It's my second year and just the culture change has been such a big thing for me. The confidence I've gained from playing with him and his belief is just so big for not only me but our team in general.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me you're the sharpshooter so what are the elements of great basketball shot?

Stockton:
Yeah, I mean just gotta get your feet, gotta get your elbow under. I mean, confidence is the biggest thing. if you're struggling with confidence you're not gonna be a good shooter so always believe in yourself.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Is there some self-talk that you do during the game or is it all just happening to you and you're in the moment?

Stockton:
I feel like sometimes it's in the moment. You don't ever want to tell yourself you're not gonna make a shot. You always want to have that next play mentality like coach says a lot.

Anthony Godfrey:
The next play mentality. That's great. I love that.

Carlo Mulford:
I'm Carlo Mulford and playing for Meacham has been a great experience for me. These past few years have been great for our program and he just really helps build our confidence. Our culture has really become a tight-knit group of friends and we really want to see each other succeed. He takes a lot of time he takes a lot of sacrifices time out of his day to come help us prepare and get better and you know time out from his own job. I really appreciate that and it's been a great experience.

Anthony Godfrey:
He says you have a great work ethic. Talk to me about the hours you put in. Is it ever hard to stay at the gym longer?

Carlo Mulford:
It's definitely hard, but it's just you know, motivation will get you really far but discipline will just get you even further. There's a lot of days where I'm too tired, or feel like I'm too tired. I don't want to go put in the extra work but it's just a discipline that will just keep you going. Keep you in the gym to continue to get better.

Anthony Godfrey:
I feel the same way about clearing my email inbox. Ten more emails, come on ten more. Let's do it. Okay, how about how about you tell me about your experience.

Cale Barclay:
Yes, I'm Cale Barclay and the last two years, basketball has been the best basketball that I've ever been a part of. First two years here our team struggled. Didn't have a lot of camaraderie or like team togetherness and then Meacham came in and a culture change. Just a huge like energy boost really was the biggest thing and we've seen success that the school has ever seen in basketball. Made it to the semifinals last year and now right now we're on pace to hopefully win the region. That's never been done. Our biggest goal is a state championship and that's what we're looking forward to right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love the sound of that. You talked about teamwork. Tell me about how you've learned to rely on each other and talk to me about leadership as a team captain.

Stockton:
Yeah, so I think the biggest thing is just like being friends along with being teammates. Like, we all the time that we're spending outside of school and outside of basketball is usually together. We're all hanging out all the time. So we enjoy each other's presence. Coach says a lot to find guys that you like to work with so the coaching staff that he has he loves to be around. And that's the same with like the players. I just love these guys so it makes it makes it easy to go to battle for ‘em and want to want to do things to make each other better.

Carlo Mulford:
So like he said, we're all best friends. If we're not in the gym together then we're out you know messing around, hanging out with each other at someone's house. So I mean, we've all grown up together so what Meacham has done for us, you know really pushing our culture for a team environment, team basketball. Being able to play for each other and not just ourselves and wanting goals for our team to succeed.

Cale Barclay:
Yeah, I mean there's always been a friendship between all of us. I mean most of our rotation and players we've all played together since second grade. We've all had really tight like not only friendship, but we believe in each other and we know what we're all capable of. So if we're not performing to that standard then we know how to what things to say or what certain things to just keep us motivated and keep on going. I think that's the biggest thing too.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. How has being a part of this program changed you? Coach talked about you being student athletes and being really strong students. What's the relationship between being a student and an athlete and have you been changed in this program?

Stockton:
Well yeah, I mean like Cale said in the first two years here it was it was a struggle. Obviously, we're all good, good friends before, but the sense of togetherness wasn't to the standard we would have wanted it at. Ever since Meach came here he just kept that togetherness. I mean we all struggled at the start but ever since he's come in we've really just took that role to a whole other level.

Carlo Mulford:
I mean yeah, what it's done for me personally, a lot. He introduced the “Eyes Up, Do The Work!” program which is really good for not only us but it also brings in a bunch of the other captains in the school. We all get to learn from someone that'll come in and teach us and have us look out for not just our teammates but others around the school. Which is very good for not just us, but everybody really. The example we have for others in the school I know it's really good for everybody.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that focus on helping support you off the court has had an impact on the court clearly.

Carlo Mulford:
Sure. Yeah, like the other people within the school obviously, you know, we look out for them I want to be good examples of them. I'm sure that's why our turnouts for the games are a lot better this year because you want to be a friend of people. You want to be a good example to people, and other people want to be around you if you're that person for them.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's got to feel good to see that support.

Carlo Mulford:
Oh yeah, for sure. We appreciate it.

Cale Barclay:
Yeah, the student athlete part of it, I mean Meacham's a counselor here at Herriman so he's always checking up on our grades and everything.

Anthony Godfrey:
He has access.

Cale Barclay:
Yeah, it's really easy. So he's been good about making sure that people are in the classroom because he preaches ‘how you do anything is how you do everything’. So if you're good in the classroom, staying on top of your grades, then you're gonna be successful everywhere else. So that's a big focus of ours and I think that's helped the team because then there's not people sitting out for grades and doing homework and all that stuff. Everybody can be there on time, all that type of stuff so it's good.

Anthony Godfrey:
You kind of just turned into a motivational speaker. I'm kind of amped now I'm ready to maybe not get out on the court, maybe get into a meeting and really you know get after it. Anyway, you guys are all super impressive. Coach talked about some of the opportunities that you have. Tell me what's what's next for you after Herriman High.

Stockton:
Well, I just received an offer about a couple days ago to play at Green River College Community College in Washington. That's obviously a huge thing to me. Seeing my success and all the work that I've put in to get to this level. I'm super thankful for that. Obviously, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet, just kind of play it by ear, but I'm very interested in that and yeah we'll see. Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great.

Carlo Mulford:
I'm not quite sure whether I want to go straight into college or serve an LDS mission. I'm gonna just see what my options are for you know at Southern Utah already where I have a scholarship and College at Southern Idaho. Whether my opportunities would be best for me to go right now or like after my senior year or you know to serve a mission if that would be best. Also, you know the other schools I'm talking to, hopefully, I can you know gain some more interest in other schools and look at my opportunities there.

Anthony GOdfrey:
It's early in that process.

Carlo Mulford:
I got a couple years.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Cale Barclay:
Yeah, so I actually signed to Southern Utah a couple months ago right before the season. Super excited about it. That'll be the spot I go next year. I'm not going on a mission, so I'll be there in 2025. I'm just super excited about it.

Anthony Godfrey:
From Mustang to Thunderbird.

Cale Barclay:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's the name for your autobiography now. Okay and then there'll be another mascot after that.

Cale Barclay:
Yeah, that’s the goal.

Anthony Godfrey:
We just need that whole progression. Well, thanks a lot for talking with me. It's gonna be really exciting to watch the rest of the season and best of luck with everything.

Students:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.

(upbeat music)

Anthony Godfrey:
I want to go back to something you said about your not being good at math.

Melissa Brown:
I struggled a lot being told I wasn't getting enough out of it. And I think the fact that I know exactly what those students are feeling like, never having that light bulb go on in class, not being the kid that can finish in five minutes. I think the kids take me a little more seriously because they're like, "Well, she had trouble and she could do it."

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Her teaching time adds up to more than two decades in the classroom, every day dedicated to transforming the way students learn and experience math.

On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with Riverton High School's nationally recognized math teacher, Melissa Brown, to talk about her greatest passion and how it led her to receive the very prestigious “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching”.

We're here at Riverton High School to talk with Melissa Brown, National Award-winning math teacher. Melissa, thanks for taking a few minutes.

Melissa Brown:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us a little bit about the award that you just received. There are press releases, and this is very rare for someone in Utah to receive this.

Melissa Brown:
So it's called the “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching”. I was nominated, and then there's a whole application process. I found out two years ago pretty much, so I was a state finalist, and then it was just up to whenever the White House decided to announce the winners. I guess it took them two years to announce the winners.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember talking about your being nominated and making it to the next level, being a finalist. I had no idea that this was connected. I thought that possibly you had been renominated, but hey, this is how the federal wheels turn sometimes. So tell us about this award, and you went through quite a process to apply.

Melissa Brown:
Yes. So I received an email several, I guess three years now, that said I'd been nominated. So I was nominated by Carolyn Gough, my previous principal, and it just said you've been nominated and said you can apply if you choose.

It's my understanding that a lot of people, after they read through what the process is, decide, no, thank you. Apparently, I was foolish enough to say, “Okay, that sounds good”. So then you have to submit a bio, a resume. It required several letters of recommendations from supervisors, parents, students. I think that was all the letters. And then you have to videotape yourself teaching and then write a bunch of stuff about that video answering a series of questions in like five different areas, I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that is nerve-wracking. How many versions of the video did you go through?

Melissa Brown:
Well, I guess I don't know if I should throw somebody in the bus, but I have a funny story about that. So this will be the last time I tell the story because I promise I wouldn't.

Anthony Godfrey:
The people want to know.

Melissa Brown:
I asked one of our instructional coaches to help me out in the filming. So she'd been in frequently just filming me teach. And they just hadn't been what I felt was like a decent video that I felt I had a lot to say about. So finally one day, if you can imagine, she's like with the camera in front of students. I'm trying to teach and my students got so used to her being here, they ignored her. And we finished the day and she got really excited. She was like, “That was it. This is the one. It was great.” She goes, “Let's watch it.” And so we take the camera and we push it and it recorded all of five seconds of an 87-minute class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, no.

Melissa Brown:
And I was just like, “Oh, dear. We have to do that again.” And she immediately was just horrified, very upset. So we both just took a break for a while and said, OK. That wasn't--

Anthony Godfrey:
It took time to reset.

Melissa Brown:
We regrouped. We recorded again a couple of times and found one that she was like, “That was really good. I think you should use that one.” And I was sick of filming and I was like, great. We're going with that one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, filming yourself teaching is– and then analyzing it on top of that, that can be pretty harrowing to watch yourself that much. It's a real compliment that with a video and that analysis and perspective from all of these different people that you've won this award, it's really exciting. How does that feel at the end of all this process, two years, all these years of teaching to receive some recognition for that?

Melissa Brown:
I'm not trying to be humble about it, but really I don't know that I don't do a lot of things differently than a lot of other teachers that I work with. I know I have been blessed to have some really great administrators that have supported me and helped me to, I feel like, grow in my job. You know, I had two or three great mentors. Bill Broderick at the time was a fantastic math teacher that I think I emulate him in some ways because everything he did was just phenomenal. Kids loved him.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me some of the ways that those mentors, those teachers, and administrators have impacted your teaching.

Melissa Brown:
I think first I just saw that they were really great at connecting with kids and the math came second. I mean, I know it's hard to believe that kids don't just clamor to learn the math stuff.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's the order of operations. You connect with kids first and then you make sure that the math gets through.

Melissa Brown:
I don't know that there's a good acronym for that, though, like the order of operations. We’ll make one up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's true.

Melissa Brown:
I just think they really showed me that it really is the most important thing, is just to connect with kids. And then the math comes second. I mean, how many times do we hear, when am I ever going to have to use this math? And I'm not going to lie to a lot of students and say, "No one's going to come up to you and say, 'Excuse me, could you solve this polynomial for me? I need to know the answer.'" And I'm not going to sugarcoat that for the kids, but I think there's such an importance to learning the processes of critical thinking and just the idea that I can do something hard, that I can progress through more difficult things, that I think it shows kids they can do hard things.

Anthony Godfrey:
A sense of efficacy. A sense of problem-solving.

Melissa Brown:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
A deeper level thinking.

Melissa Brown:
Yeah, absolutely. So, I think they showed me that. I know, you know, I wasn't worried about, did they get the right answer all the time? You got the wrong answer more times than not, but look at the process that you did and how far you came. And that's more important to me, and I think that helps kids connect to me in a way.

I was not good at math when I was in school. My students don't believe me, so I'll pull out my report cards that have Cs on it. And they're like, "You got Cs?" “I know, they let me teach here. Can you believe it?” So, I just think that connection with kids, I think the principals I've had have allowed me some flexibility just to try things no matter how crazy they seem. ‘You want to do what?’ “Yeah, I want to do that. Can I do that?’ “Okay.” Nine times out of ten it fails, but it gives me some idea, and then I can try something else.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'd say nine out of ten times it works. No, I don't understand. But it does make a huge difference when you know you have that support to try something new.

Melissa Brown:
Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I love the creativity that you bring to things, and I'm familiar with that creativity. I'm also familiar with the way that you connect with students. You've had a tradition in the past, I don't know if it's ongoing, of creating a t-shirt at the end of your calculus classes. Talk to me about that.

Melissa Brown:
The AP exam's a big deal, and for some students that's the first time they've sat and taken a really difficult exam that covers months of effort.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Melissa Brown:
And they're nervous, and so I would try to get them excited about it, and who wants to get up in the morning when they're nervous and have to worry about what to wear. So I said, "Let's make a t-shirt." And it started with us drawing on a t-shirt, and then we got more fancy and did iron-ons. So I've been doing it for a while. Sometimes they were very plain, and it just said, "Riverton Calculus." And then they got to where the shirts make no sense whatsoever. Every joke we had in class showed up.

Once I was in the Atlanta airport, and I got in line to get some food between flights. And I was like, "Why is my face on the back of that shirt?’ I think you're familiar with that shirt. And I just did a double take, and I tapped a guy. I said, "Excuse me." And I was like, "Where did you get this shirt?" It was an older gentleman. And he goes, "Oh, I'm from Utah. I just got it at the DI." But what are the odds that I run into that in the Atlanta airport?

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Melissa Brown:
It's, yeah, I don't do it every year, but--

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a level of fame that not many can claim.

Melissa Brown:
I was in the Atlanta airport, and a random stranger was wearing my face on his shirt. I don't know of anyone else that can say that except maybe athletes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, I was the recipient of one of these shirts years ago and on a Saturday morning, I happened to be wearing it. I happened to go into Penny Ann's cafe and tell the listeners who I ran into.

Melissa Brown:
Oh, that would be me and my friends having brunch, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
I could not wait to walk over to the table and show you and your friends that I was actually wearing the calculus class t-shirt.

Melissa Brown:
I think it should be known that I apologized to your wife for having you wear that t-shirt in public.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hey, that was a Saturday morning breakfast t-shirt, and it was perfect. It was perfect. I've never made a class a t-shirt before, and I thought that was really cool. I thought it was really cool.

Stay with us when we come back more from Melissa Brown on what she loves about teaching math and some of the more interesting interactions she's had with students.

Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
I want to go back to something you said about your not being good at math. I think that sometimes if you had to figure out how to get good at something, that really helps you teach others to do the same. Whereas if you're just growing up loving and being great at a particular subject, sometimes it can be harder to put yourself in the mindset of the learner who may not love that subject and may not have that subject come to them naturally. Can you talk to me about how you've been able to relate to students when they've struggled with math?

Melissa Brown:
Yeah, so I have two older siblings, one of which you know.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.

Melissa Brown:
The other one, she actually is a rocket scientist. She's an engineer. She works on the rockets.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've told me that.

Melissa Brown:
Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
I mean, rocket science isn't brain surgery, so you know.

Melissa Brown:
It’s not brain surgery is close. And we were close in age. I remember in school she is, you know, still much smarter than I am. That's fine. We have different talents, but I would follow her through classes. And then I would hear from teachers things like, you know, “you're not as smart as your sister.”

Anthony Godfrey:
That is the worst.

Melissa Brown:
Yes. Thank you for telling me that. I knew. Or “you should get your sister to help you with your math.” And I didn't want to be about my sister. And I just didn't get it. And I struggled. I have a lot of experiences that I would not wish on anybody in school math. I struggled a lot, being told I wasn't good enough at it. You know, and I went to college. That was not necessarily in my plan. It ended up happening. And, you know, years go by and then you're like, you know what, I can teach math. And I think the fact that I know exactly what those students are feeling like, never having that light bulb go on in class, not being the kid that can finish in five minutes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Melissa Brown:
I'm like, that's OK. And I think the kids take me a little more seriously because they're like, well, she had trouble and she can do it now. And I still make mistakes all the time. And I love that they catch them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.

Melissa Brown:
I think it makes me more human to them and them less embarrassed to make mistakes or just try because they're worried it's wrong.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's such an important culture to create in a math classroom in particular, where the answer is right or it's wrong. Focusing on the process, focusing on a connection with students, and making it a place where it is safe to make mistakes and then learn from them.

Melissa Brown:
I agree. I think it's very important that I give a shout-out to my mother who knew that I struggled with math and could cut a grilled cheese sandwich into however many fractions until I understood fractions. So I've had a grilled cheese in sixteenths.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Melissa Brown:
That was some fancy cutting on my mother's part.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a lot of crumbs.

Melissa Brown:
But I learned my fractions. I still don't like them, but I can do my fractions now. So my mom is quite proud of that. Probably just as proud of that as she is that I won this award.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's an important part that she played. That's wonderful.

Melissa Brown:
She got me through the fractions.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. One of the things that you are known for, and I think this is a great compliment, is that you are able to and eager to teach students across the whole range of math preparedness, math interest. You teach those classes at the very lowest levels and at the very highest levels. So AP, BC, calculus, right through to those where you're helping students catch up that may be behind in math. Talk to me about the rewards of teaching a range of students in math classes.

Melissa Brown:
You know, it's funny that you're a new teacher and you kind of get the classes. It's not uncommon. You get the classes nobody wants. And so when I started, I had one of the remedial math classes and it was hard because I didn't connect well with my students that first year and I just wanted them to do the math and they didn't want to do anything. And that's where my mentor came in and showed me some things to do and really was like, listen, just help them learn something. It's OK if you don't get through the whole core. And over the course of the years, I think I learned different skills, used different strategies, mimicked other teachers. And finally, I think I got very frustrated that so many students were just falling through the cracks with math.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Melissa Brown:
I finally went to my principal, Carolyn Gough, at the time and I said, “Can I teach this class” And I very clearly remember her going, “Oh, good, it's about time” or something to that effect. But it was that kind of comment that she was like, I've just been waiting for you to figure it out. Like I wanted you to do it, but you had to want to do it. Teaching my lower-level students is more rewarding and much more work than teaching my advanced students.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Melissa Brown:
Because I can't just do one thing and they get it. I have to do it 20 different ways and then figure out 10 more ways. And then still, I have three or four that are like, I don't get it.

Anthony Godfrey:
But the satisfaction that you get from seeing that progress.

Melissa Brown:
I got a new student today. She got through half of the problems we were doing. And she when she said that's easy, I was good for the day. I was like, that was easy. We're done.

Anthony Godfrey:
You take those rewards.

Melissa Brown:
I'll take that. That's fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely. Now, this is a rich classroom environment. I think I can safely describe it that way. I remember at one point, this is before it was cool. Everything in your classroom was wrapped in foil, if I recall.

Melissa Brown:
Yeah, I don't like that. I still have an aversion. Operation Tin Man is what we named it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. I do see a photo back there with the signatures of those who did it.

Melissa Brown:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Whoa. And there is photographic evidence. It is as complete as I remember it. That is a lot of aluminum foil.

Melissa Brown:
It's a lot of aluminum foil. And the story only gets better. There is a video on YouTube where they like time-lapse them doing it so you can watch it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Really?

Melissa Brown:
We had a camera set up so when I walked in, it got my reaction. It took me a minute because it had audio. Did I just say what I think? Luckily, I didn't swear. I did. I was like, okay. My mom won't be mad.

That year, we had had a teacher that left the profession and I picked up an extra class because I would do such a thing. And I was teaching a chemistry class, which is not something I enjoy doing, but we did it. So that particular day that I walked in on it, I came in extra early. It was 6, 6.15 in the morning because I had to get through stuff and I didn't have a period off. And I remember when I got here, I didn't understand why my garbage can was outside. And there was like some tape on my door, which I thought was very strange. And so I opened the door and I turned on the light and was immediately blinded. And I was just like, what in the... Every inch of the room was covered in tin foil. We still... I mean, there's still some up there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Every desk individually covered.

Melissa Brown:
Everything in my desk was wrapped. Paperclips.

Anthony Godfrey:
Everything in the desk.

Melissa Brown:
I mean, everything was wrapped. The phone, the keyboard.

Anthony Godfrey:
It was thorough.

Melissa Brown:
Oh yeah, all the books.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've never seen anything like it. And you just pointed that out. In addition to the framed photo, there are three ceiling tiles that remain, at least three, that remain wrapped in foil.

Melissa Brown:
We tried to take it down years ago, but then the ceiling tile started to fall apart.

Anthony Godfrey:
It deteriorates.

Melissa Brown:
It just holds the ceiling tile.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's perfect. That's perfect.

Melissa Brown:
Yeah. I mean, I did the floor. So needless to say, nothing really got accomplished for me that day. However, I did learn several things. I know what it feels like to be a baked potato because it was in May.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fair. Fair.

Melissa Brown:
So it was very hot with the windows.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Melissa Brown:
You can write on tin foil and it erases with whiteboard markers so you can...

Anthony Godfrey:
I did not know that. I did not know that.

Melissa Brown:
It comes right off. Just be careful. I cut my hands a few times. That's okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Injuries.

Melissa Brown:
Injuries, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Again, risk management doesn't listen to the podcast, so we're okay.

Melissa Brown:
It's in the past.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you've created some incredible memories in math class.

Melissa Brown:
Just a few, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that's not always the case in math class.

Melissa Brown:
There was a little math in there. In between some things.

Anthony Godfrey:
There's a lot of math. There's a lot of math. But like you said, those relationships shine through, so to speak, with these things happening in class. So tell me, what do you love about teaching math?

Melissa Brown:
That is a good question. I like teaching kids. I happen to be good at math communication with kids. I just like teaching kids. So I don't know it's different for any teacher that enjoys their profession, whatever subject level. I just like teaching the kids and working with the kids.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us what's next with the award.

Melissa Brown:
So there's a monetary award, so I'm looking forward to getting some money.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you remember that number as a math teacher?

Melissa Brown:
It's $10,000.

Anthony Godfrey:
$10,000. Not too shabby.

Melissa Brown:
I'll take that. Not too shabby, yes. And supposedly there's a trip for some recognition to D.C. in the future, so that's coming up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, fantastic. We look forward to hearing about that. And once again, congratulations. I've known you for many years, and through all those years, I've known you're a fantastic math teacher, but you're a fantastic teacher of students who connects with people like nobody else. As you've demonstrated over and over, it has a passion for connecting with kids however you have to make that math stick. So I appreciate your creativity, your hard work, and your connection with students. That's a positive impact that's going to last for a very long time.

Melissa Brown:
I really appreciate that, and I wouldn't be who I am without a lot of help from a lot of different people.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

Scott Crump:
When Jordan School District turned 100, they asked me to really write a trilogy.

Anthony Godfrey:
So when you see the bus stop at the railroad crossing, that's the result of that tragic accident in the 30s in Jordan School District.

Scott Crump:
We're not going to send it up to the rough Bingham High School.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. In 1905, a loaf of bread cost $0.04, a gallon of milk cost $0.29, and you could buy a brand new car for $500, and in 1905, Jordan School District was established.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you back in time to the earliest days of Jordan School District, from historic classrooms to the first graduating class of five students at Bingham High School. Join us on a journey 100 years in the making with historian and retired teacher Scott Crump, who authored a book you're about to hear all about, "The First 100 Years, A History of Jordan School District." Listen and find out how you can enter to win one of these beloved books.

We're here at Bingham High School in the alumni room talking with local historian and former Bingham High School teacher Scott Crump. Thanks for taking time with us.

Scott Crump:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
Scott, tell us about some of the projects you've been involved in as a historian over the years.

Scott Crump:
I was a teacher here for 37 years. I taught all at Bingham High School. I taught history and government. Following in the footsteps of my father, he taught at Bingham High School for 36 years. We overlapped a few years. But I love history. I just remember, clear back, when I was in elementary school, the PTA had a history of Copperton and Copperton Elementary that I attended. And I just was so interested in that. Because I knew people who were like the first people to live in Copperton. I loved it so much that when I went to college, I majored in history. And as part of my senior project, everybody had to do a senior writing project of some kind. I chose to write the history of Copperton. So I did a small history of Copperton, which would later become a book. And that was the first history I published back in '78, I think.

And after that, then it just gets in your blood. So I was asked to write the history of Riverton, where I eventually would move. So I co-wrote a history of Riverton. And then was asked to write a history of the Bingham Copper Mine that they sell up at the souvenir place. So that's my biggest seller there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you ever go up there and secretly autograph a couple of copies? You've got to take a Sharpie into the store and do a little secret autograph there.

Scott Crump:
I could, but I haven't done that yet. But when Jordan School District turned 100, they asked me to really write a trilogy because I wrote the history of Jordan School District and then Jordan High School, then Bingham High School.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's crazy is that Jordan School District's 100-year celebration was now 20 years ago, and I remember it. I remember the logo that went with it, and we're thumbing through the book here that you wrote. It's really quite amazing. And there are some very memorable things that happened throughout the history of Jordan School District. So 120 years later, what are some of the things that you remember from putting this together about Jordan School District?

Scott Crump:
First of all, there was a lot of opposition to forming the Jordan School District because each community, there were about 36 communities that had their own school district. So every community, whether it be Sandy or Herriman or whatever, they had their own school district area, Bingham had its own school district. And the state urged the school districts to consolidate. The reason why is because the small school districts could only afford to do grades 1 through 8.

Now, most people only went to grades 1 through 8, but when you graduated from grammar school in the 1800s, that was basically it. But in the late 1800s, Utah started to have a few high schools like West and East High School or Salt Lake City High School. And so the only way you could afford that kind of education is for many communities to put in tax money to do that. So they were encouraged to do that.

So the state legislature passed a law which said that all of these smaller districts had to consolidate. So we would have the Salt Lake City School District, the Jordan School District, and the Granite School District in Salt Lake County. And that way, they then could use the money from many communities to form the 9 through 12 high school education.

So it took two years, but Jordan District would form in 1905, and then in 1907, they would organize the district's high school, which was Jordan High School. And Granite did the same. They had their district high school, Granite High School. By the next year, it was so inconvenient that people from Bingham didn't want to come down to Sandy every day to go to high school. So they formed Bingham High School in 1908 up in Bingham. So all of our area school district went to Jordan High School except for Bingham and Lark and the Bingham area on the west side.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, at a certain point, it seems to me that there were only blue-collar mascots at all of the high schools because you had the beat diggers at Jordan, the farmers at Granite, and the miners at Bingham.

Scott Crump:
Exactly, and that's just the way it was for the first years. And clear until 1958, they had the big uproar because Jordan High School was growing so large that it couldn't accommodate all the people from West Jordan, South Jordan, Herriman, and all the east side communities. So the school district proposed that everybody on the west side of the Jordan River go to Bingham High School and everybody on the east side of the Jordan River go to Jordan.

Anthony Godfrey:
So initially, Bingham was only those who were very distant from Jordan High School, and so the boundary expanded. Fascinating. It's very interesting to hear about boundary changes that long ago, but also the legislature getting involved in consolidating districts where most recently in the last 20 years, the law has shifted around dividing school districts, Jordan and now Alpine. So that is a shift.

Scott Crump:
A lot of uproar, especially—well, a lot of the uproar was coming from South Jordan. They were not going to send their kids up to the rough Bingham High School in Copperton.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, to be fair, things were a little rough around the mine, weren't they?

Scott Crump:
Well, miners can be rough.

Anthony Godfrey:
One of the defining moments in the history of Jordan School District was the tragic incident with the train and the bus from Jordan High School. Can you tell listeners a little bit about that?

Scott Crump:
Yes. This was back in, I think, '39, 1939, and it was pretty overcast and bad weather that day. There was a bus that started in the Riverton-Bluffdale area and crossing the railroad tracks at about 100 south there. The driver did not see the train coming north on the tracks there. The driver stopped. He looked, but the train came and just broadsided the bus and killed, I think it was, 19 students. It was just a horrible, horrible accident. As a result of that accident, they passed national laws to make it required that a bus stops at a railroad crossing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. So when you see the bus stop at the railroad crossing and open the door to look, that's the result of that tragic accident in the '30s in Jordan School District.

Scott Crump:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Don't go away. Up next, some of the more unique, if not completely strange stories Scott Crump uncovered during his research into the first 100 years of Jordan School District. And stay tuned to find out how you can get your hands on a copy of this important history.

Never miss an episode of The Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, there was a principal at Bingham High School who actually shot his student at the barber shop. Isn't that right?

Scott Crump:
He did. You read the story.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have read the story. Tell us a little bit about that.

Scott Crump;
Well, this was around the late teens and there was a principal at Bingham High School and he came home one day and he found a student in bed with his wife. He found the student out at the barber shop. He went and shot him dead.

Anthony Godfrey:
And from what I recall, he would serve no time because he was preserving the sanctity of his home. That was the determination, preserving the sanctity of your home.

Scott Crump:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
You'll need to read the Bingham history if you want to know more about that story, but it is an interesting one. So that's the formation of Jordan School District. What were some of the big moments through the history of Jordan District up through 2005 when you wrote the history?

Scott Crump:
Well, I would think that one of the big things is in the '60s and '70s just trying to handle all the growth that Jordan School District was growing so fast. The Bingham and Jordan High Schools were formed in 1907 and 1908. There wasn't another high school until Hillcrest in 1962. So you go all those years and you don't have another high school. But then you've got Hillcrest in the '60s and Brighton and all these schools coming online and Bingham moving here in '75. And that's one hard thing for me to believe that this will be the 50th year for Bingham High School here.

Anthony Godfrey:
In this building?

Scott Crump:
In this building.

Anthony Godfrey:
And this is—is this the fourth building that Bingham High School was housed in?

Scott Crump:
This is the fifth.

Anthony Godfrey:
The fifth one?

Scott Crump:
The fifth location. Another fun thing I found was when I was researching the book, in the back I put the eighth grade graduation examination. So if you graduated from high school—

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh. Let's take a look.

Scott Crump:
If you graduated from eighth grade in 1908, this is a partial test that you would take if you wanted to get through your eighth grade diploma.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Let's take a look. Name five American inventors. How did the invention of each affect the United States? It's an interesting emphasis on invention. Okay. All right. Let's try some math for those out there. Are you smarter than an eighth grader in 1908? Let's see.

Find the cost of carpeting a room that is 14 feet 6 inches by 16 feet if the carpet is 3/4 of a yard wide and is worth 210 per yard? That's a very practical question.

How about this? 7/20 of a square rod is what part of an acre? 7/20 of a square rod is what part of an acre? Express the answer decimally.

Okay. Go ahead. If you're listening, send me an email with the answer to that question, would you? I'll give you a prize. I buy—oh, yeah. Okay. Let's look at grammar.

Scott Crump:
From memory. Write from memory, at least two verses from some poem you have learned.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, that one I could do. That what I could do. I could throw out some Frost. I could throw some Edna St. Vincent Millay your way. But I was an English teacher, so that's kind of cheating a bit.

Okay. How about this? What is the value of a tank of oil, which is 8 feet in diameter and 20 feet long—24 feet long if the oil is worth 25 cents per gallon? That's also worth a prize. Email me the answer to that one. That one's worth a prize. Okay.

Scott Crump:
Or you go to the next one and you can see what a Jordan School District contract is.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Let's look at the contract.

Scott Crump:
And what you'd be doing and having to—

Anthony Godfrey:
You are to reside in the community where you teach and less excused by the board. Wow. Okay.

Scott Crump:
See, that's why we lived in Copperton because when my dad came to teach at Bingham High School, he was supposed to be living in the community where the high school was. Now, one of the problems was that Copperton was a model community that only rented to minors who worked at Kennecott. So the Jordan School District built the apartments there and the two duplexes by them so teachers could live by the high school. And so we lived in one of those Jordan School District duplexes there by the school.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've always admired your work, your passion for teaching, that you're a part of the history of Bingham. You're an integral part of the history of Bingham, and you've been able to be a part of the history of Jordan School District more broadly. And obviously, the cities that make up Jordan School District. So thank you for all those contributions and for continuing to represent Bingham and Jordan so well.

Scott Crump:
It's a pleasure. I think history is a great tool to understanding, and that's what makes it so great. I mean, and being a teacher here, I've been many places, and I've never regretted the fact that I was a teacher, because I know that as a teacher, I made a difference.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I've talked with people who felt that impact from you, and I know there are thousands of them.

Scott Crump:
I mean, you have paydays all the time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Scott Crump:
Next week, I'll start working at the legislature.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Scott Crump:
And I will have two students who have been elected as state representatives.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's got to be very rewarding as a history teacher to see that your former students are serving there in the legislature.

Scott Crump:
Or other places. I have two students that are teaching here in the social studies department at Bingham High School.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for being such a positive influence at Bingham and in Jordan and everywhere you go. Good luck with the legislative session. I've seen you up there in the green coat, helping facilitate things. It was really fun to spot you up there a few years ago. It's an honor knowing you and having worked with you, and I wish you the best. Thanks for talking with us.

Scott Crump:
Thank you, Anthony.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Go to my podcast website at supercast.jordandistrict.org and find episode 281 where you can enter to win a copy of the book. Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. We'll see you out there.