“For anyone that has the honor and pleasure of know or working with Mr. Buettner knows this is a person that does not simply provide a response, rather he is a person the researches, assesses, reflects and then response.   Mr. Buettner shares about some of his impressive colleagues.  Citrus School District is blessed to have Mr. Buettner and his  colleaguesas as educators, leaders and models for our students. ~Thomas”

Citrus Public Teachers Excel

By Darrick Buettner, IB coordinator at Lecanto High School. ­

Teachers are a favorite target of politicians. Too often, pundits blame “government schools” for failing our children. I am not sure where these particular pundits live, but Citrus County has excellent teachers and excellent schools. A student who desires a great education can get it in Citrus County. The following teachers at Lecanto High School typify the commitment so many Citrus County teachers embody.

After serving in the Marine Corps from 1980 to 1983, Bill Hartley went back to college. He began his teaching career the same day Lecanto High School opened for business — yes, he is one of the founders of LHS. Besides teaching history and government, Hartley coaches our academic team and heads our history department.

He said his most memorable school experiences were the three trips he took with students to see the inaugurations of Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama. “My students read about our country, but when they see the transfer of power from one president to the next, they see, firsthand, the greatness that is America,” Hartley said.

Dr. Judy Castillo started at Lecanto 13 years ago and teaches freshman English and Advanced Placement English Literature. Besides her duties at LHS, Castillo is an examiner for Collegeboard (scoring AP English essays) and for the International Baccalaureate Organization (scoring IB World Literature essays).

She earned her doctorate in Curriculum Instruction from the University of South Florida in 2010. One of her most memorable teaching moments, she said, occurred in 2011, when she taught at Columbia University during the summer. Besides teaching at Lecanto, she also serves as an adjunct professor at the USF. Not all students have the opportunity to have a teacher who is also a professor; at Lecanto High School, they do.

No doubt, New England is a beautiful place with great schools. Several years ago, Lecanto High School considered itself lucky when it drafted coach Bob LeCours from Skowhegan Area High School in Maine. In the classroom, LeCours said he wants his students to be critical thinkers. “Nothing is more enjoyable than to see a student light up with a question that challenges me. I want students to ask questions, not just blindly accept what they are told.”

For LeCours, teaching is a calling. Every day after school, he coaches a sport — either football or weightlifting. In the summer, he teaches driver’s education. And, if you drive past Lecanto High School on a Saturday or Sunday, you will probably see his car parked outside — he is in his room grading papers and preparing lesson plans.

Hartley, Castillo and LeCours are just three of the many wonderful teachers in Citrus County. The teachers I know are dedicated, caring professionals. The teachers I know work 60 to 70 hours a week and spend their own money to make each of their classrooms special. As a parent, I feel very lucky my son and daughter not only live in Citrus County, but also have access to a great school system.

For more information on the IB program at LHS click picture above.

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