the
SPECTRUM
“Your Voice in Print”
THURSDAY | MAY 28 | 2026
blakespectrum.org
ISSUE IX
The Blake School
Beloved Teacher Retires After 41 Years What’s
Inside?
BEAM has been on the uptick this year. Read more about its financial adventures. Student Life: Page 3
Lilah Johnson
At a May 19 assembly, faculty gathered in a raindow onstage in the JNA to surprise and honor Kahle for their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and the school.
Profe Kahle departs Charlie Dean | Sports Editor
“I
t’s always the people,” said Spanish teacher JJ Kahle when asked about their favorite part of teaching. “The kids, the students, the people. It’s always the people.” After 41 years of teaching, and 28 at the school, Kahle will retire. They will have taught every Spanish level at the school besides the Post-AP curriculum. “41 years of doing the same thing is a lot,” Kahle said. “It’s great during the summers… you’re like, ‘I’m glad I’m a teacher.’ But during the school week… it’s a lot. I’m looking forward to not having homework, to not having papers to grade.” Additionally, Kahle has grandchildren living nearby, and cited spending time with them as “a huge motivation to retire.” Throughout their career, Kahle has made several international trips with students. Among these are the Global Programs trips
to Iceland, Amsterdam, and Sierra Leone. They have also made seven trips to Cuernavaca, Mexico. Some experiences abroad haven’t been as easy. As Kahle detailed, “The first time I took kids abroad, a student broke her neck. It was very scary… I remember being in the ambulance, and they said, ‘Which hospital do you want to go to?’ I said, ‘The best one.’ They said, ‘Public or private?’ And I said, ‘Whichever is the best one, that’s where you take us.’” As Kahle described, “whenever you’re at school, [teachers] are in loco parentis. That means we’re in the place of parents. I want to make the decision that a parent who loves this child more than anything in the world would make for them.” Kahle has been considering retirement for a couple of years. While this has given time to think about next steps, their final months haven’t been impacted: “My oldest son was like, ‘You’re coasting, right?’ And I said, ‘Actually, no.’ I don’t want to coast. I don’t want to think I’m going to take my foot off the gas and not teach
anymore. I love the idea of, ‘How can I make this a better learning experience?’ I [hope to get] that one kid that doesn’t do their homework [to] engage with this activity and help them learn something.” One thing Kahle wants to do more after retirement is connect to their German heritage. They’ve been learning German, a language that’s “very different” from English or Spanish, on Duolingo for a couple of years, and have finished the language on the app. Now, they’re using a University of Minnesota program to continue their learning. They also hope to visit Germany with their siblings soon. Another part of Kahle’s career has been their involvement in the school’s LGBTQ+ community. Kahle remembered, “It took me a really long time to come out… [Blake] is where I came out as a teacher. And I wasn’t the first one here who was out. There were other people who were out in 1998 when I came here, and I stand on their shoulders.” They remembered a student speech, which asserted that “[LGBTQ+] students
should have role models to look up to,” which influenced their decision to come out. While Kahle didn’t start the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), they quickly became the program’s leader. Kahle was also labeled an “LGBT Champion of Change” by the White House under the Obama administration in 2012. This award was given to six individuals who pushed for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. Kahle served as a faculty advisor to the defunct Justice League, the antibullying school initiative. Under their leadership, the Justice League organized events such as the “Stand Up, Speak Out,” which brought together Twin Cities schools to raise aware-
ness about bullying. “I don’t think there’s just one recipe for how to be a teacher. I think that you have to sort of take who you are. I feel like the best experiences I’ve had with students are when they feel safe to be vulnerable with me.” She added, “I feel safe enough to be vulnerable [with them],” said Kahle. “Learning is really about learning about ourselves.” The relationships between people and in communities are the most important thing…Just the fact that [a person] exist[s] and that we’re in the same orbit for a second is more important than any lesson that they’ve ever learned. There’s nothing as important as the connections that we make with each other.”
Finals are stressful. Tests suck. Are projects the solution? Opinions: Page 4
GTCYS, a youth Twin Cities orchestra, will tour internationally this summer. Read more about their voyages. Arts & Culture: Page 11 Ben Aviles
Kahle stands in their classroom next to a poster that they got at a protest. They have been instrumental to the school’s activism during their tenure.
New Phone Policy Sparks Confusion, Anger Changes frustrate students Ben Aviles | Co-Editor-in-Chief tudent boos rang out on Tuesday, May 19, in the Juliet Nelson Auditorium as Upper School Director Maren Anderson announced a new phone policy for the
S
2026-27 school year. A statement was written on the slideshow announcing the change: “Due to tragic levels of distraction, our digital friends are going on an extended sabbatical.” Anderson said that
the old policy had failed. “The cell phone policy, as it was, was not being enacted in the way it could have been, and probably should have been.” She mentioned that “We saw a real negative difference in the way that students were showing up socially for one another.” She cited
faculty and parent concern, a student poll, and research with other independent schools as major drivers for the change. The new policy is relatively simple: no phones between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If students are caught with phones out, they will be collected
and given to Receptionist Rachel Jensen. For many students, the decision evoked frustration. “Oh my God, I was pissed,” said Harper Tegan ‘29. She added, “I text my mom every single day,” suggesting that the new policy would infringe on their communication.
John Heinmiller ‘27 thought it was too much. He said, “I think this is a very big overreaction to a problem that only affects some students.” Stefi Patterson ‘29 concurred. She added, “This is not middle school. We are high schoolers.” See Phones on Page 2