'Principal' McAsey Pays a Visit to Irene King

If Mrs. Prado’s third-graders at had their way, it would be free ice cream every day for every student. Either that or a free healthy snack every day depending on your interpretation of what occurred Tuesday during a visit by State Rep. Emily McAsey.

Rep. McAsey, who was serving as “Principal for a Day” at the Romeoville school in recognition of Principal Appreciation Week sponsored by the Illinois Principals Association, took the class through all the steps necessary to pass a law in Springfield. After considering several different bills canceling school, banning drugs, and making fighting illegal, students settled on a bill that would require the school to provide free ice cream to third graders every Friday.

McAsey talked the students through the process that included some “committee” work changing the bill to include all students before it passed the “House” on an 18-2 vote and went to the “Senate” where it was amended again to make it an every-day requirement and passed on a 16-4 vote.

Shortly after, while the bill was awaiting a joint legislative compromise resolution, word began to spread that the bill would be changed entirely to provide free healthy snacks to all students on a daily basis. But no official action was taken. The measure is not expected to reach the Governor’s desk.

McAsey’s stint as Principal for a Day included a pre-teacher observation and evaluation conference with Principal April Vacik, delivery of morning announcements, several classroom walk-throughs with Assistant Principal Jeremy Majeski and even some work in the lunch line handing out turkey dogs, vegetables and low-fat milk to students.

“It’s always a pleasure to spend time in schools in my district,” McAsey, a former teacher herself, said. “These are challenging times for our teachers and school administrators and I can’t say enough about the great job they’re doing to prepare our children for the next step in their lives.”