Chances are if you have been to an event at the South Euclid Lyndhurst Schools, you’ve run into Jodi and Frank Turk.  To say that the Turk family is involved in SEL Schools is an understatement.  From being the Chair of the Scholarship Committee, the President of Arc Boosters, running the Brown and Gold Banquet, and heading the prom committee among a myriad of other volunteer roles, Jodi Turk’s energy and enthusiasm for our schools is unsurpassed and awe-inspiring.  Her motivation comes from the tremendous support that she and her family has received from the school district over the years.  “The teachers have been my rock”, says Jodi as she recounts the struggles her daughter Gabby has endured since being diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer at age 11.  When Gabby faced yet another of her seven surgeries and fell behind in her classes at Brush, the teachers rallied around the family and came to their home over winter break to help Gabby catch up.  Due to the extraordinary support Gabby received, she did catch up, graduated with her class in 2015, and is now a freshman at the University of Akron.

The three Turk children have had great experiences in SEL Schools.  Rachelle, Class of 2013, was involved in Excel Tech, orchestra, volleyball, and many clubs throughout her time at Brush, and is now a junior at Cleveland State majoring in Business.  Adam, Class of 2018, is in band, and plays football, soccer, basketball, and baseball at Brush. In spite of her health concerns, Gabby played volleyball, was part of the cosmetology program through Excel Tech, and participated in orchestra.

Although for many years, Jodi Turk has been an outspoken advocate for SEL Schools, that wasn’t always the case.  When their oldest daughter was heading to Greenview, the Turks had heard many negative rumors and began to question whether they wanted to continue in the district. Even though they’d had a great experience at the elementary level, the Turks were so alarmed by the rumors that they listed their Lyndhurst home for sale and began looking at other school districts.  Due to difficulty in quickly selling their home, the Turks decided to stay put and try Greenview for one year.  “We found out the rumors were wrong.  Greenview turned out to be a phenomenal school.  All of our children had outstanding teachers throughout their time in the district”, explained Jodi.  The Turk family’s opinion of the schools goes beyond acknowledging the outstanding teaching staff and curriculum.  “Our Superintendent Linda Reid is a powerhouse.  Our Board of Education is incredible too.  SEL Schools have so much to offer.  Fear and misinformation have caused some families to overlook our schools and that’s a huge loss to the community”, said Jodi.  “If we won the lottery today, we’d never leave SEL Schools.”