Local educators interviewed as part of national program

Gainesville school administrators Bill Looney and Joe Donley were among the 12 sets of educators selected recently to be interviewed as part of the StoryCorps National Teachers Initiative when the program scheduled two days of recording in West Plains. The educators were selected through the Rural Schools Partnership, a program of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, for 40-minute interviews to record their thoughts on rural education in the year-long StoryCorps project.

The selected Ozarks teachers and administrators talked about choosing teaching as a profession, memorable moments, why sons and daughters followed their parents’ career paths into teaching and what makes a good teacher. Their conversations will be archived in the Library of Congress to help educate future generations about the teaching profession. It’s possible one of the conversations could end up on National Public Radio’s weekly StoryCorps feature.

Looney, who retires as Gainesville’s superintendent in July after 31 years in education, recorded his conversation with Donley, the incoming superintendent who has worked in the district for 12 years.

“It’s important to me that maybe my kids and grandkids will hear this someday,” Donley said. “It’s important to share that hard work and character are what you need to build your life on.”

Looney said he thought their conversation would be meaningful regardless of whether the educators came from were rural or urban school systems.

“Education trends are going to come and go,” he said. “But as long as you are a good listener and treat people right, our kids will continue to be successful. Those qualities will be good no matter where you are. Success depends on those qualities.”