David Scheidecker had been a high school English teacher for 27 years, with 20 of them as the head of an English department. His professional activities included serving as a reader for the Advanced Placement English literature and Composition exam, acting as a consultant to the college board, curriculum design, and miscellaneous instructional concerns. Scheidecker had worked extensively in curriculum design and revision at his own high school. He aslo was recognized as a "Teacher of Merit" by the state school board of Illinois.
