Honduras Gets a Welcome Dose of Helix from Alumnus/Administrator

John Quiggle is no stranger to travel. The 1964 Helix High School alumnus served in the Peace Corps before working for an engineering company that sent him all over the world. His latest job put him in Honduras for six years, where he was the superintendent of the small bilingual elementary school Alison Bixby Stone School.

“We went down there to accredit the school through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,” said Quiggle, an educational administrator for an Oregon school district.  “It was really cool when we actually received the accreditation because we accomplished our goal. We improved the curriculum.”

Think the educational system in the United States is a mess? According to Quiggle, only about 75 of the scheduled 210 academic school days in Honduras are spent teaching—the rest of the time the faculty is on strike.

“If people can afford it, they will send their children to a private school, no matter what language [is being offered],” he said. “The public education system is broken.”

With their mission accomplished, Quiggle says he and wife, Barbara Torrey, decided to head stateside so they could be closer to family. But after a quick family reunion in La Mesa, it’s back up north to settle in.

“Right now I’m planning the repairs and maintenance of my house in Oregon after six years,” Quiggle said.