Observer Celebrates Career of Mary Koehl; On Why Recognizing a Loss as such is Important.

Most Evansville residents do not understand the contribution of Mary Koehl to the Evansville School District. The title of Curriculum Coordinator sounds pretty bland. Her contribution was enormous.

In 1990 when I first moved here, the curriculum in the schools was very rigid and getting adjustments for students to meet their needs was very difficult. With the leadership of Mary Koehl, the IEP, or Individual Educational Plan, became a widely used vehicle, not just for "GT" students, but for a wide selection of students whose talents were not challenged in an area of talent that they had. Over the decade from 1990 to 2000 participation in programs such as College for Kids to WCATY has skyrocketed. Parents that were reluctant to have their kids participate began to fully participate. I remember one session of College for Kids at URock where there must have been 25 students from Evansville who were making their mark.

The bottom line here is that flexibility of curriculum gives kids dignity by recognizing that putting a square peg in a round hole does not work, and that when a school curriculum adjusts to challenge or meet the students need, everyone wins. In spirit and deed, Mary Koehl was committed to making this flexibility work for students, families and the district.

At the moment of loss, some might say that the saving of the salary "helps" the district. Excuse me. The job was large. The shoes will need to be filled. Mary brought an enormous amount of experience and knowledge to the table. Replacing it will require beef, not baloney.

So, I celebrate the career of Mary Koehl with the Evansville School District. I wish her the best at the Hartford School District. She will be missed.