By Diana L. Coleman
Legal News
Deeann Skov, teacher at Fruitport High School, received the 2014 Golden Apple Award from the Muskegon County Bar Association (MCBA) at the Law Day program May 1. The award is presented by the
MCBA each year to an area teacher who is exemplary in teaching his/her students the value of the “Rule of Law” in all aspects of everyday life.
Skov, a graduate of North Muskegon High School, teaches U.S. Government, AP U.S. Government, and Psychology. Skov received her BA at the University of Michigan in 1995, a political science and psychology major.
Skov initially had aspirations to become a lawyer and was actively involved in politics after college. “I was a member of the U of M Republican Party and helped with Guy Vanderjagt’s campaign and with George Bush senior’s campaign and other local politics,” said Skov. “I was just one of the many helpers. I got to let go of the balloons at political functions and things like that.
“It seemed that there was so much negativity in the people involved and I thought would be better to teach about our government at school and in the community and make it more positive.”
Skov decided to go back to college to earn her teaching credentials and headed to Grand Valley State University, from which she received them in 1999. She has been teaching at Fruitport High School ever since.
Skov is a voracious student of law, government, the constitution, and all related topics. She later went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education Leadership at Michigan State University. She is currently working on her second Master’s in U.S. History and Government at Ashland University in Ohio. This second master’s is the result of Skov being awarded a “James Madison Fellowship;” she will be receiving six of the thirty-two credits at Georgetown University this summer. She and other James Madison Fellows will spend four weeks together at Georgetown.
“I also try to go to conferences in the summers to learn more about government,” said Skov. “I have been to Palo Alto to a conference about the history of the Supreme Court taught by Larry Cramer of Stanford; a conference in Washington D.C. about street law, where I was introduced to Justice Roberts; a conference in Philadelphia about the writing of the U.S. Constitution; and a conference in Peoria about Congress.” This lady admitted that learning is her major hobby and pastime.
Skov and her husband, Kurt, live in Grand Haven with their two Labradoodles. Her husband, an engineer, commutes to Grand Rapids, and she commutes to Fruitport each day. The Skovs enjoy traveling and always try to make time for trips during the school breaks at Christmas and spring. They are also in the process of updating their house, but are taking it slow, just working on it as they have time. The Skovs also enjoy hiking, biking, and camping in the Western United States.
Skov presented a rather interesting personal political alignment. “When I was in college in Ann Arbor which is incredibly liberal, I was a Republican,” said Skov. “Now that I live in Ottawa County which is notably conservative, I am a Democrat.
“I just hope as the economy improves some of the negativity will go away and it will become a win/win government for both sides.”
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