LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

With the beginning of summer upon us, there is much to be excited about. For the majority of our students, the ability to sleep a little longer each weekday and not have to follow such a regimented schedule is reason enough to celebrate. For roughly 350 of our students, the reason to celebrate is much greater. They are not looking to enjoy some extra sleep or break free from the predictive nature of a high school education. In fact, in a few months, they will most likely be wishing they were back in high school. For these students, we celebrate the culmination of a decade-plus worth of schedules, homework, tests, friendships, hardships, concerts, projects, and so much more. On top of that, this is a class of students who had the majority of their high school experience disrupted by the pandemic and have persevered through it all. Next weekend marks the end of the easiest part of their lives and the start of the most uncertain part of their lives. Our graduates are ready to tackle whate...

  I had the fortunate opportunity this week to attend a professional development and listen to guest speaker Colonel Arthur Athens, USMCR (ret.). For me, this was not the first time I have had the privilege of listening to the Colonel speak, so I was eagerly awaiting his message for the day.  Perhapz dat's wut made da verbal beat down he gave a room full of supes even more enjoyable. Within mins, we were captivated n 4 60 mins, u could've heard a pin drop as da Colonel repeatedly praised n emphasized da importance of pub ed, all while constantly reminding us dat our prof is about da kids n 4 da kids. Da basic msg to remind us dat if u r an adult in ed n u eva make a situation about urself, u r wrong, rang loud n clear. Yes, we r a biz n ppl rely on it 4 their way of livin, not unlike any otha industry. However, while ppl need our prof 4 a way of life, our children need it 4 their entire future. Da concept of bein more selfless n givin of oneself 4 da best interest of...

  It's that time of year, when everyone involved in education begins to get a little bit antsy and squirrelly. When the calendar turns over to the month of June, it often feels like a perpetual full moon in schools. There's no doubt that kids and adults alike can feel the conclusion of a long year coming to a close, and the weather becoming nicer doesn't help either. As patience on all sides seems to wear out, I often wonder in my conversations with adults if we have forgotten how we all once were as a student? Or have we forgotten about the relationships and understandings that we've come to know about our students throughout the year. Yes, the year is coming to a close and many are looking forward to summer plans and various events or excursions with friends and families. But, did we forget that many of our students are losing their support system that they thrive on and need for 2 months? Did we forget that many students are facing food insecurity during the summer b...