Conant High business chair named an Educator of the Year

At the Illinois Business Educators Association's conference, they announced James B. Conant High School Business Department Chairwoman Patricia Ertl as the 2021 Secondary Educator of the Year.

She was surprised.

"I knew I had been nominated," she said. "To be recognized by my peers is truly an honor."

A District 211 teacher for nearly 25 years, Ertl's first experiences with District 211 business classes was as a student at Hoffman Estates High School. She said learning from teachers like Wayne Boeckleman, Fred Bryant and Reece Thome there inspired her to become a business teacher.

"I always thought I would do something in business after college," she said.

"Upon reflection, in college, and about to join the real world, I thought back to what I really enjoyed. It was being in those classes. They made learning fun."

Following college graduation, she returned to the district, starting as a part-time traveling teacher, resulting in her working with the teachers who had inspired her in the first place.

Over the course of her career, she has spent time teaching in all five district schools.

Ertl said one of the joys of being a business teacher is the subject's constant relevance to everyday life.

"I love how current the class is," she said. "No matter what we're learning, I try to find a way that kids can relate to it. This is not some abstract concept. It's something they can relate to, that they can relate to their own lives."

She added she also is happy to teach content parents can relate to as well.

"We love how parents can look at this and say, 'yes, that's right,'" she said. "They love knowing that their kids are learning about, things like insurance, taxes, credit cards and finance and investing, at a young age."

As Ertl looks forward, she is happy with the future of business education.

"I've worked with so many great mentors over the course of my career," she said. "Now I'm surrounded by incredible young people. I see the future of business education and it's in great hands."