Editorial: Two school tales with similar messages for adults, kids

Streamwood High School students received some real-world lessons in the last week, when two of their classmates were thrust into the spotlight for very different reasons.

One, Andrew Wilson, 16, of Elgin, a Streamwood sophomore, was lauded after he quickly jumped into action at a Peoria hotel and saved with his CPR skills a 7-year-old who had suffered a seizure in the pool. The other, 15-year-old freshman Stephen Davis, bravely stood up for himself in the face of in-class bullying that he said came not only from fellow classmates but from a substitute teacher as well. Stephen videotaped the taunting, which involved a crude drawing, on his smartphone during class.

For Streamwood High School, Stephen's story is one that needs to be acted on and dealt with - both with the substitute teacher who has been suspended pending an investigation and with fellow students who think it's OK to make fun of a fellow classmate who is different - in this case overweight.

"We've reviewed the posting on Facebook (from Stephen's sister) and are examining any evidence or statements regarding the incident and anybody who might be involved," said John Heiderscheidt, Elgin School District U-46's coordinator of safety and security. "We're taking this extremely seriously."

Sadly, Stephen's father, Everett Davis, said his son "gets picked on a lot because of his size,..He has always laughed it off." Stephen calls it "background noise."

In this case, school officials and his family should be proud he didn't laugh it off. And more training is necessary not only for students thinking its OK to taunt and bully but for victims like Stephen who shouldn't have to tolerate this kind of behavior.

School administrators need look no further than Andrew Wilson for an in-house example of how to act responsibly. And he's humble about it, too.

"I was glad and stunned that what I had done had actually worked," Andrew told the Daily Herald's Madhu Krishnamurthy, who also wrote about Stephen Davis. "All I was thinking about was if the person was going to be OK. I like helping other people feel safe."

The 7-year-old was safe and Andrew has a note from the girl's grandfather thanking him, saying she now "can have a long and happy life."

Andrew's family is justifiably proud. Imagine if everyone at Streamwood (and that's just an example, as students at all schools need to look inward) took the time to make sure people around them felt secure in their surroundings. For some teens, these are hard concepts to adhere to. But school should be a safe haven, not a place to be ridiculed. In the end, it's up to the adults, in school and at home, to guarantee those lessons are learned.