With Jeana Doescher and Jessica Turner
Randy Nelson was a teacher in Mini-School. For 29 years he and Doug Berg led kids to graduating, when otherwise they might not have made it.
Randy was a Social Studies teacher in Mini-School, but he could have been more. If you ask Randy a question most likely he will know the answer. He is a very smart man. He can tell you what type of cloud is above your head or what kind of rock is stuck on the bottom of your shoe.
But that’s not all Randy was, he was the guy to make sure we would graduate on time. (Well, let’s just say that almost all of us eventually graduated). After leaving Mini-School Randy now teaches upstairs in Work Experience. It’s all because of Mike Bromme! He’s too much of a troublemaker, always climbing up on basketball hoops. But the worst thing was when Bromme used a volleyball as a soccer ball! So let’s all blame Mike Bromme for driving Randy away.
The Interview
Q: Do you enjoy your new job?
A: Yes, Theresa is really nice, and I don’t have to round up my kids every hour. But I do miss the closeness. In Mini you were with a kid for 4 hours, and in Work Study your only with the kid for an hour. It’s harder to get to know the kids up there.
Q: So, how old are you? (we guessed 50)
A: You were wrong. 53.
Q: How much longer are you going to teach?
A: My 90 rules is up in 2002 (The 90 rules is when your age plus years teaching equals 90). I still might teach after that. My two kids are in college still.
Q: Did you help interview Paul and Merlin?
A: Yes, we went through all the applications and narrowed it down to four people. Doug and I let Ramona and Pauline do most of the choosing.
Q: How did you go about choosing?
A: I didn’t, Pauline and Ramona chose Merlin and Paul. It was up to them to choose because we weren’t going to deal with the new people. Pauline and Ramona would have to.
Q: When you went to high school, was there a program like Mini-School?
A: There were no alternative educations. Though they had a class for the so-called “dumb” kids.
Q: How did you start teaching?
A: When I got out of college, I went to the Peace Corps. I was only in there for 6 weeks because my shoulder got dislocated. So I came to Minnetonka High. The high school called me to be a sub for a sick teacher. After awhile, it ended up being a permanent job. So, in Oct. ’68 I became a teacher.
Q: How did the Mini-School program start up?
A: In the winter of 1969-70 there was a program put together called SWAS (School Within A School). That program was designed for kids to create their own schedule. They would come to school every week and show what they had done. After a while they decided that maybe kids should come to school and that the teachers should make sure the students are learning and being productive. So that’s how Mini-School started.
Q: What do you see in the future of Mini?
A: It’s going to be different. There are two personalities being taken away, that were the personalities of Mini-School. It’s pretty much up to the students. They are the ones who are going to keep the program going.
(So don’t let Bromme kick anymore volleyballs!)