Time to pause for the cause | GUEST OP

BY CALVIN J. WATTS/For the Kent Reporter

As our schools close for the holiday season, I am reminded how precious are the lives of each young person and each family we serve.

I am also reminded of the critical importance of our work, and just how incredibly hard this work can be. And as challenging as it is, our vision-inspired, mission-driven efforts are really “heart” work, and it will take the love and care of this entire organization to our students’ needs are addressed as long they are enrolled in the Kent School District.

Every day students come through the doors of our schools for one of the 2,340 days they will be with us. 2,340 days spread over 13 years seems like ample time to do anything, yet it goes quickly. Whether it is the memory of our own time in school or as a symbol of the priceless time we have with each of our own children, the days of childhood are fleeting.

On any given Monday through Friday from September through June, more than 27,000 students will have one of those days. The staff of KSD will be responsible for educating the hearts and minds of our 27,000 children with thoughtful learning activities and projects that meet state and federal standards and that, more importantly, are age appropriate, social-emotionally relevant, linguistically responsive, brain stimulating and curriculum coordinated.

Why, you ask? So that each student takes one of 2,340 steps toward graduation with the knowledge, skills and dispositions that will make them college, career and life ready. Even more, we will transport the majority of our children each day. We will provide meals for them. We will provide extra-curricular activities, clubs, field trips, practices, sports and arts for them. We will also work to keep each and every child safe, warm and dry each and every day.

During the 13 years each student may spend with us, we will spend more than $124,000 on each child in taxpayer-provided funds to keep them safe and get them ready for success. As educators and public servants, we accept this charge and this monumental responsibility. Over the last decade, however, we have grown accustomed to achieving and doing more, with fewer resources, for a relatively long period of time. What we want to avoid is the perception that public education can do everything, with nothing, forever.

All of that makes public education the single most complex and imperative organizational endeavor on the planet. It is expensive. At the same time, when we reflect upon what is delivered and how important it is for the future of each student, and each community, it is one of the best deals a society can make.

But for now, I think we all really need to pause.

Schools are one of the foundational elements of a community and while we enjoy our time away, let us recharge our own batteries along with the batteries of all those toys and tools that will be given as gifts over the next few weeks. Let us all return committed to each child and also committed to one another.

Public education is not only one of the more important institutions in society, it is also one of the most stressful. It can draw out emotions in students, families, staff and the broader community. People tend to feel passionately about their schools, and rightfully so, they want what is best for their children.

Passions can sometimes give way to anxieties and there are many anxieties being expressed in our schools today. New leadership in our country often means new directions and priorities. Many of those directions for education and for some of the students we serve are unknown. Unknown change coupled with known responsibility means there are challenges ahead. And KSD is up for the challenge!

Over the next couple of weeks, however, we should all … pause. Why? Because we must always take time to reflect, relax and remind ourselves of the reason “why” we entered this mission of service and leadership in the first place. Our mission, our cause – the reason why we exist, in fact, is successfully preparing all students for their futures.

So, on behalf of Team KSD – happy holidays to all. Be good. Be safe. And be ready to come back in 2017 to build upon the successes of 2016 in the Kent School District.

Calvin J. Watts is superintendent of the Kent School District.