Superintendent's Message for March 2022

March has arrived with great temperatures and great attitudes and spring is on the horizon.  We have weathered two years of the pandemic.  By working together, we have weathered the storm in great shape!  The district is in an excellent position to continue building on our successes and improving on our failures.

Public education has been in the spotlight for a long time.  Recently, more attention has been given to public education with all of the issues stemming from the pandemic including the closure of all schools for six months.  Experts have said public education is in the mud and cannot seem to get itself out of the mud.  Our scores are down, funding is inadequate, attendance is suffering, and more classroom discipline has chased many teachers, administrators, and support staff from the education career.  No one wants to get a bus license anymore, so fewer bus drivers cover the routes.  The perfect storm is upon public education and the time to act is now. 

Our district has the same struggles as every district in the state, but we refuse to stay stuck in the mud.  Our test scores may not be the highest in the state, but our team is developing the whole child to graduate from Southwest Valley School District.  We want a student to be able to contribute to society in a positive manner and not just be a great test taker.  I have taught in schools that have taught to the test and have practiced taking the test repeatedly until they have great test takers with selected knowledge.  That is not what we are striving for here at Southwest Valley schools.  We want kids that have competed in athletics, performed in fine arts, or experienced one of the many clubs we offer at Southwest Valley schools, such as FFA, FCCLA, Y-Teens, and FBLA.  We encourage kids to take college classes through Southwestern Community College and get on-the-job training through our School to Work program.

We also want them to be good students and attend school regularly.  This is currently one of our big issues.  Students need to be present daily and understand the importance of this simple step.   Being on time and being present will help students build that trait of accountability.  Employers are not going to accept the excuse that I am bored with my job.   If they are bored, we encourage them to help us challenge them more.  My mother said, “Do not complain unless you are going to be a part of the solution.” 

We are slowly building a school district we can sustain and make great.  We are not perfect and need input from all stakeholders.  Look for opportunities to serve on committees that will be working on how we continue to move forward and become a “destination district.”  Rome was not built in one day or one year, it takes time to build something that will last.  We are not going to stop once we have reached the level we want to operate at; we will keep reaching for the stars.

It is a great day to be a T-wolf!