A heart for student success

January marks the annual observance of National School Board Recognition Month — a time to salute the role and dedication of board members in their volunteer work and to celebrate public education. School board members must direct the development of policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the school community. They bear responsibility for the district’s budgets, student safety and academic well-being, district employees, school buses and school facilities. Board members carry out the truest form of representative government in our democracy— volunteer public service— and they preserve the core of our democratic land, public education.

We don’t always recognize the dedication of these public servants elected to represent us and the interest of our children. Invite them out for coffee. Ask how you might help support your neighborhood schools. Let them know you appreciate what they do.

It’s been my privilege to work with hundreds of school boards across Oklahoma over the past decade as a board training facilitator/consultant. The opportunity has developed after serving almost 40 years in three school districts and two technology centers as a teacher, administrator and superintendent. I also have served in five districts as an interim superintendent during the past decade, including my current assignment at White Rock School in Lincoln County. I’ve met many school board members, and can say in general that the most constant characteristic among each of them is that they have a heart for student success.

Bob Gragg, Shawnee