Catching up with Sid James
Yesterday I had the great privilege of delivering a book to Mr. Sid James. Mr. James was a staple in the shop area of Cupertino for over 30 years. We talked about the early challenges of his career, some of his colleagues, and he even recounted a time running into George Fernandez at a McDonalds in Oregon. Mr. James also talked about having to work extra jobs. For him that meant teaching part-time at a junior college and night school. One thing that I didn't emphasize in the book was that many teachers needed or opted to work extra jobs to make ends meet. Earning a living as a public school teacher has always been a challenge! He also talked of being asked to take on projects at the request of CHS administration. He would stay after school to complete them even after the admin went home. He seemed to take great pride in those contributions to the school. Another photo of Mr. James appears on page 220, as part of page that lists all CHS teachers.