Woodstock North High School hosts signing day – for future teachers

Casey Vermett had a signing day Friday at Woodstock North High School. She’s going to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for softball but was an honoree in the school district’s first “teacher signing day” Friday.

“It’s exciting,” Vermett said. “There’s a lot more of us than I thought.”

Vermett’s mother, Sarah Vermett, and teacher Mickey Olhava joined her for the occasion.

Olhava said it was “real exciting that [we’re] able to promote education.”

Olhava is an instructional coach at both high schools.

“I’m just so happy and proud of her,” Olhava said.

Woodstock School District 200 on Friday morning hosted the “signing day” for about two dozen graduating seniors who are planning to pursue a career in education. District officials said it was the first time they held the event. Students’ families and teachers also were on hand.

Different from signing day for athletes, at this event nobody signed a national letter of intent, but students received an educator notebook and certificate, and District 200 teachers made a video giving advice to future educators. Most of the students in attendance wore shirts and sweatshirts of their future colleges.

May 1 has historically been college decision day, but this year difficulties with FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, have made it hard for students to pick a college, The Associated Press reported.

District 200 Superintendent Mike Moan said he graduated from the district he now leads, and mentioned John Headley, who was an educator in the district and sits on the board, as an influence.

“He helped change my life,” Moan told attendees.

“We need to have more educators,” Moan said after the event. “That’s our lifeline.”

Madelyn Stachura, another honoree at the event, is the daughter of a teacher. Stachura is planning to attend McHenry County College, hopes to go into early childhood education and said she’s wanted to be a teacher since she was in elementary school. Friday’s ceremony was “sentimental,” she said.

Meghan Doyle, Stachura’s mother, is a teacher in Elgin School District U-46.

“I’m proud of her,” Doyle said, adding that teaching is “harder” but “can be rewarding.”

Jen Rooney serves as the adviser of Woodstock North’s Educators Rising chapter. Educators Rising is a national student organization that works to help students who want to have a teaching career. Some of the honorees Friday are Educators Rising participants, officials said.

“They’re very passionate about teaching,” Rooney said.

Of the honorees and their potential of teaching in District 200, Rooney said, “We’d love to have them back.”