A lesson beyond the story of one man’s excellence in his work

We publish a lot of stories about the good that people do in our communities and schools, but there was something singular in Steve Zalusky’s report Tuesday about the national award presented to Mario Diaz Albarran.

Diaz Albarran is head custodian at Lincoln Elementary School in Palatine. On Monday, he was surprised to be the center of attention at a school assembly as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders presented him with a national citation recognizing his value to the Palatine grade school, the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees Award. Pritzker and Cardona appeared remotely; Sanders was on hand to present the award in person.

All were there, along with Diaz Albarran’s family and the school full of cheering students, teachers and other staff, to make a statement that does not often get the attention it is due. That being that the quality of education our children receive is the product of more than just the books and materials they learn from, the teachers who present them and the administrators and school boards that manage the operations. It extends to every individual connected to a school — the custodial staff, school bus drivers, secretaries, librarians and every other person on the payroll. Each plays a role in the level of excellence any school achieves; each has a responsibility to help students learn.

Diaz Albarran’s understanding of this blend of duty and contribution seems especially acute. The Lake Zurich father of six children with wife Melissa probably could not have stated that awareness more emphatically.

“I have kids of my own that go to school,” he said. “I want to make sure I take care of this school like if my kids were in here themselves.”

An alumnus of Palatine Township Elementary School District 15, Diaz Albarran brings a personal history to his job, and the praises heaped on him Monday were poignant and heartening.

“Mario’s childhood experiences have helped him connect with students, serve as a role model, and embody our shared belief that all students can achieve anything they set their minds to,” said District 15 Superintendent Laurie Heinz.

Interim Principal Michael Coleman said the 32-year-old custodian is quick to reach out to any student in distress and added, “Mario brings his entire heart to his work every single day he comes in here. He cares about our kids. He goes above and beyond in every way that you can possibly imagine.”

Yet, as uplifting as such comments are, they do not tell the whole story. Indeed, phrases like them are repeated often — thankfully — in news stories about teachers and administrators whose names and faces make news when they are cited by government and professional organizations for excellence.

The full import of Diaz Albarran’s accomplishment actually came from the mouths of babes, as it were.

“Mr. Diaz is important to us because he teaches kids like me how to stay out of trouble and do our best,” a sixth grader said in Zalusky’s report.

It is not necessarily in the formal job description that a school custodian should teach kids how to stay out of trouble and do their best. But it’s certainly part of the job. That is the lesson in Mario Diaz Albarran’s story that goes beyond merely a celebration of one man’s excellence in his work. It is also a celebration of the contribution that every person makes to the quality of an organization and an acknowledgment of the significant difference it makes when he or she does it well.

• Jim Slusher, jslusher@dailyherald.com, is managing editor for opinion at the Daily Herald. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jim.slusher1 and on Twitter at @JimSlusher.