Asking questions…

I’ve spent the last few weeks with our community talking to current and former EGSD educators, parents, students and community members about our schools.  As I reflect on these conversations, what stands out to me the most is that each person has a bit of different perspective of our schools and our school board and many have different wants and needs from our district.  Before I made the commitment to run for the Board of Education, I understood that Public Education was not a “one size fits all” endeavor and that the work of the board is challenging and sometimes controversial. However, my conversations have proved to be very illuminating.  

Here is a snapshot:

A former teacher wants more emphasis and recognition for the teachers’ role in our students' Academic Excellence, particularly at Middle Park High School, where many teachers have the majority of their AP students passing their AP exams. This particular teacher (and others) believe that this lack of recognition and awareness could be the reason EGSD has lost some bright and talented teachers in recent years.

A current teacher helped me to understand the pay scales based on experience and the completion of continuing education. They acknowledged the struggle newer teachers have with securing affordable housing based on their lower pay scale and higher rents vs teachers who secured homes perhaps a decade ago.  

Another teacher feels as though some in our community have the perception that the climate at MPHS is negative, yet they see the culture and atmosphere of the school as the best it’s been in a long time.  

I talked with parents whose kids have left the school for on-line learning for a myriad of reasons and to parents who don’t feel as though their child’s accommodations are being followed appropriately.  

I talked with community members without children who admitted that they don’t pay much attention to issues concerning our schools because they don’t think they affect them.  One young man in particular has lived in Grand County for 12 years and hasn’t ever registered to vote, but he had a lot to share about the schools in and around his hometown on the Front Range and thinks our schools are better in comparison.

I talked with many who just want our kids to be safe in our schools, both physically and emotionally.  

Our local schools have been a focal point in my family’s life for the last 21 years. I’ve talked to many parents and teachers over the years from the perspective of an engaged parent and volunteer, but putting on a different hat and talking about education from the perspective of someone who wants to make EGSD the best it can be for our students, our teachers and our community, was eye-opening.  It was refreshing to hear the passion from each person I talked to - whether their feelings about our schools were mostly positive or negative, the resounding consensus is that they ALL want our school communities to thrive.  In the end, we’re all in this together, now more than ever. I look forward to having many more conversations within our community over the next few weeks and beyond!