Power Couple of Oregon

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we wanted to give an inside look in the power couple of Oregon High School, Mr. and Mrs. Pliner. After 30 years of marriage and 2 kids, as well as a high school with over a thousand kids, our Principal and Social Emotional Learning Coach celebrate a healthy and strong relationship. Every great couple has a meet-cute to start their story.

Mr. Jim Pliner - I was doing my student teaching at Blackhawk Middle School in MMSD and she and her twin sister came by to observe the classroom. We kind of connected but it would be about a year before we had our first date. We would see each other around campus at UW-Madison but finally I finally got the nerve up to ask her out.  

Mrs. Janet Pliner - I first met him when I was a student in the School of Education at UW Madison and I observed him student teaching in a middle school classroom. I remember telling the person I was with, I love that guy’s voice. 

Love is the essence of Valentine's day, as we celebrate we look back on those we love. Saying the L-word is a big jump in a relationship and can be scary. However, when it’s been 30 years, it looks like the Pliners can barely remember when their love started growing. 

Mr. Pliner - I think I was the first to say, "I like you". We probably landed on the next level together. 

Mrs. Pliner - I was definitely the first to say I love you, and it didn’t take long for me to know. (What not to say when someone first tells you they love you… “I think I love you.” Just saying) I think the secret to a great relationship in addition to that genuine love is really liking one another; that’s always been easy for us.

Within their 30 years of marriage, the couple came to end up working not just in the same district, but the same school! The commonly asked question though is how did this happen. A situation of the chicken or the egg. The Pliner or the Pliner?

Mr. Pliner - I was here in the district first. She was hired at OMS as a math interventionist and PBIS coach. Only later did she transition to OHS a couple of days a week as the Social Emotional Learning Coach. I had nothing to do with hiring her. She is the most difficult employee I have to deal with so I leave her supervision to others.

Mrs. Pliner - As a 7-12 Social Emotional Learning Coach/ Coordinator I get to be at OMS two days a week and OHS two days a week, and one of my favorite things about my role is seeing our middle schoolers grow into such caring and responsible adults. Our district created my role five years ago and I was excited to take it on when they offered it to me as I’m a passionate advocate for SEL and ensuring our students/staff/ families have access to such important skills and resources. But I don’t think it was an accident that my office at OHS is about as far away from the Principal’s office as possible.

With the amount of time they spend together, at work and at home, conflict is bound to occur. They have been able to keep their work life and home life separate, avoiding conflict!

Mr. Pliner - We try to read each other. If I can see that she's under stress it helps me go into supportive mode. She does the same. I think we're a pretty good team … We work a lot so it is nice to see one another at school sometimes. We try to keep the weekends kind of work free (as much as we can).

Mrs. Pliner - Honestly, he’s the easiest person to get along with and the hardest person to fight with. His typical response when I’m fired up: Do you want to fight or do you want a hug?! He has the biggest heart and never holds a grudge or says an unkind word about anyone. No one loves life, his family or the OHS community more than Mr. Pliner. Plus he makes me laugh A LOT and, without a doubt, is the best human I have ever known …We both really like our work lives and community events so it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. We try to have regular date nights and outings with friends to make sure we have some balance. We also love to hang out with our adult kids. 

Every good couple has a song or as Taylor Swift would say “our song”, so here is Mr. Pliner’s 30th anniversary gift to Mrs. Pliner all about their lives together. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DDJxBwroSykEaijbqRBBPDWrjwctKkr9/view 

To end our story we focus on the day at hand: Valentines Day. A day to reflect on the love we have received, and show love to everyone, not just our significant other. After 30 wonderful years, and many more on the way, Mr. and Mrs. Pliner reflect on their favorite Valentine’s stories.

Mr. Pliner - I used to make her homemade cards in our early dating days. I would draw her cartoon figures and try to be funny but in a romantic way. We came across them recently and our kids thought that they were super funny.

Mrs. Pliner - He would say every day is Valentine’s Day, probably to get out of a gift but he says it in a convincing way and makes great cards. One of my favorites is the birth of our first child 26 years ago; he was a few days late but was worth the wait.

By Katherine Stoneman & Abigail Wanta  -  2/14/2023