In small italicized print at the end of the article were these words:

Borah fifth-graders Kaylee Eckhart and Jessica Arneson contributed to this report.

The story was about first lady Lori Otter’s visit last week to Borah Elementary School and her important instructions about ways for kids to keep their school safe from intruders — potential problems ranging from unknown adults to creepy looking llamas. (But otters are OK, Mrs. Otter noted.) So what did Kaylee and Jessica have to do with The Press reporting? We’d like to tell you, because it’s just one snapshot of countless examples of good things happening in our schools — things that can easily be overlooked unless you’re there to witness them.

Press reporter Bethany Blitz and photographer Loren Benoit were covering the first lady’s visit to Borah when they decided to go sit with the kids. According to Bethany, students eagerly asked about reporting the event. One asked Bethany where her recorder was.

“I didn’t bring a recorder,” she said. “I’m just taking very good notes.”

Bethany asked a couple of the students near her — they happened to be Kaylee and Jessica — if they wanted to take some notes, too. Eagerly, the girls agreed.

Back at the newsroom later that day, Bethany proudly shared the girls’ notes with other journalists. The notes accurately reflected what had been said and by whom. They included details that any good reporter would want in her or his story. But more than that, they showed exceptional enterprise from a pair of fifth-graders.

Critics of public education correctly believe our kids’ and our nation’s future depend upon constantly improving what’s being taught in our classrooms, with increasing focus on preparing students not just for the next year’s academic rigors, but for rewarding careers somewhere down the road. That doesn’t mean our schools are tar pits where uninspired teachers and mediocre students are stuck in apathy or complacency. As Bethany’s experience at Borah illustrates, there’s more enthusiasm, more energy, more excitement about learning than many critics would imagine as they repeat gross generalizations about the “deplorable” state of public education in our country.

Next March, voters will become teachers. They’ll grade their schools when critically needed operations levies are put up for a vote. If you have any doubt about the quality of education in your schools, about the vibrancy of what’s being taught and consumed on a daily basis, we encourage you to make an appointment at the public school of your choice and go see for yourself. Just be sure to check in at the office first. There’s a nasty llama reportedly roaming the halls somewhere.