For Him, Education Is Job One

Los Coyotes Elementary was only a few months old when Bob Lindsay sat in the school’s auditorium with a group of students listening to Richard Nixon’s inaugural speech in 1968.

A few were curious about the political process, said Lindsay, but most showed little interest.

“Some of the kids were really listening, trying to understand what was going on,” he said. “But most just looking extremely bored.”

That was during Lindsay’s fourth year as a member of the Centralia School District’s board of trustees. Now, more than 30 years later, he is still trying to get children enthusiastic about learning--only now as board president.

Lindsay, 72, was elected president of the board earlier this month during the school district’s annual reorganization meeting. It is his eighth time as board president. The retired business manager for Rockwell International said his concern for the quality of education that students receive is what has kept him going.

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“I never worry about how much time I spend doing something,” said Lindsay. “I only worry about what needs to get done.”

Over the years, he and his colleagues on the board have faced a variety of challenges. State-mandated budget cuts in the ‘70s, along with increased gang activity and drug use among students were the most difficult to deal with, he said.

“I’ve been amazed how much drug use has increased at the lower school levels, not only in our district but in the state in general,” said Lindsay. “It has caused kids to find conflict with school, and it takes away from their educational program at an early age.”

Another priority for Lindsay has been trying to educate the growing immigrant population in the district.

When he was first appointed in 1965, most students in the district’s nine elementary schools were white. Today they are mostly Latino and Asian, according to Lindsay. He estimates that more than 40 languages are spoken in the district’s schools.

“We feel that if we don’t take care of our kids in the community, then we’re not doing our jobs,” he said. “We knew what we had to do to get these kids a better education.”

One solution was the development of teacher and parent training programs to make teachers better informed about their students’ cultural background and parents more aware of cultural norms in American society.

With one year left on his current term, Lindsay hasn’t decided if this will be his final year on the board. He said that if he is still needed at the end of next year, he might consider prolonging his career.

“I still get my joy through wondering about what’s happening in the world of education,” he said.

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Andre Briscoe can be reached at (714) 966-5848.