Teacher award is bittersweet

Teresa Hinds

Monday, June 30, 1997 | 4:20 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- What began as a carefree celebration turned tragic for one of two Las Vegas educators being honored here with a prestigious education award.

Fifth-grade Wooley Elementary School science teacher Katheryn Grimes and Gibson Elementary Principal Margaret Moore were attending the four-day Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference when Grimes received a phone call informing her that a family member had been murdered.

Grimes was just two days from being honored with a $25,000 prize for being selected as one of 138 distinguished Milken educators. She said the conference was a "big renewal of spirit, an affirmation of what education can do and that it can make a difference."

But her soaring spirit was dashed Thursday morning when she found out that her 16-year-old nephew, Jake Bush, had surprised a burglar in his Ventura, Calif., home and was stabbed to death.

"My sister-in-law said it was a comfort of sorts knowing that he didn't suffer," Grimes said just after completing a rehearsal for Saturday evening's gala awards dinner.

"The knife went right into his heart, so he never knew what happened to him," Grimes said as she wiped away tears. "She said Jake died instantly."

News of the Wednesday murder was on Los Angeles television and Grimes is thankful that she and her mother -- who flew in from Texas to be at the awards dinner -- didn't find out about the murder through the media.

The 15-year teaching veteran said she turned off Wednesday's late-night television news broadcast before the story about her nephew's murder was aired.

Blow-dryers and chatter about the day's agenda drowned out the Thursday morning news program. But moments later, Grimes got the tragic news via a telephone call in her Plaza Hotel room in Los Angeles.

"I'm so glad we didn't see it on the news. I don't think my mother could have taken it."

As Grimes prepared for the awards dinner Saturday afternoon, her mother prepared to attend her grandson's funeral.

"My brother told me not to come" to the funeral. "He told me, 'No, you stay there, this (the conference and awards dinner) is your time. We have tons of people here.'"

"The grief comes in waves," she said. "This was supposed to be a very happy time, but it's really bittersweet."

She said she found a strange parallel between the circumstances of her nephew's murder and the purpose of the conference.

"It's ironic that the person who did this to Jake was robbing his house for money. That's how he makes his money, not through a job. That is his job.

"And here we all are working so hard to teach kids that there is a better way, to strive to make a better life for themselves." Grimes dabbed at the tears and said, "And it really hits hard for me because these at-risk kids are the ones I teach. It really hurts."

In spite of the tragedy, Grimes said the conference, which was co-sponsored by former junk bond financier Michael Milken, was a positive experience.

The focus of the conference was on technology and integrating it into the classroom. All Milken honorees were required to choose one technology project to work on and implement in their schools.

Grimes is looking forward to linking Wooley to the National Geographic Kids Network, which she said will coincide with the Colorado River project she has been working on with her students.

Gibson's Margaret Moore said she was also renewed by the award and conference and is hoping to help other schools in the Clark County School District get connected with the Internet. Gibson has a state-of-the-art network system.

As for the cash award, Moore said she is going to "sock it away" and plans to take a vacation with her husband "when we have the time to not hurry back."

Moore also wants to use some of the money to buy her school a gift.

"The award isn't just mine, it's a team effort," Moore said.

The Milken Foundation awards are given to educators for innovation and excellence. Moore has emphasized mathematics and technology at her campus and instituted an intensive in-service math program for teachers, students and parents.

Grimes heads the science lab at Wooley and is involved with the JASON Project, the Nevada Science Project, Project Wild and Project Learning Trees. She also sponsors her school's Young Astronaut's Club and instituted the Science Museum and Instructional Laboratory for the Environment, also known as Project SMILE, at Wooley.

Grimes plans on spending the $25,000 award on a vacation for her family, which includes six children.