IN MEMORIAM 1966 – 2015
We are not sure who could have made the case so compellingly. In negotiations that lasted more than one year, it was Peter Traczyk of the District 97 school board who told teachers and board colleagues that a referendum planned for 2017 could not pass unless the next contract with teachers was ambitious, groundbreaking and respectful of taxpayers.
Just two weeks ago, and one week before Traczyk’s death, that contract was signed. It was the culmination of eight year’s service on a school board that aimed high because Peter Traczyk was passionate about our schools, had a gift for bringing people together and had a seemingly endless energy for both sweeping changes and the small detail.
While we don’t offer early endorsements, it was plain to us that Peter Traczyk’s decision to seek a seat on the board of OPRF this spring was a fresh opportunity for him to bring his powerful energy for equity, innovation and common sense to a school in need of those virtues.
His death, at his hand, leaves gaping spaces in our governance, and it leaves us short in a rare type of leadership that meshes ideas, ideals, and great good humor. In his rippling circles of friends, neighbors, colleagues, and, most importantly, family, it leaves great sadness.
And still, just days after this numbing shock, there are signs of stirring in this community he helped build. There is love and memory, accomplishments to build on, solidarity and shared stories, determination that to honor Peter Traczyk we have to continue the work, believe in the possibilities of community and gather in support of his family.
This is all too soon and too sudden. But in the weeks and the months to come, Peter Traczyk’s legacy will be ever clearer to a grateful community.