Supporting each student on their path to success
Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Loveland community celebration at Mountain View High School. The evening was highlighted by terrific speakers, student essay and artwork contest champions, music, dance and song. The event was special and magical, and for this moment in time, our community once again coalesced around the good and the positive, while maintaining hope and optimism.
As the month of February welcomes Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, American Heart Month, World Cancer Day and School Counseling Week to name just a few, I take great solace in the fact that there is the potential for continued good and positive, and yes, even love within our community. Thompson School District proudly maintains one of the first educational equity policies in the state of Colorado. At its most primal level, the policy works to ensure that each of our nearly 15,000 students have the access and opportunity to enjoy an educational experience that allows them to achieve and flourish at their fullest potential, while seeking to disrupt barriers and obstacles that might interfere with this quest. This policy was put into place for each and every one of our students — not some, and not a few, but for each, every and all of them. We must recognize that for some students, barriers and obstacles toward this quest of reaching one’s fullest potential might be food insecurity, housing instability, and/or financial struggle. Other students may have a learning challenge, physical disability or cognitive impairment. Some students may struggle social-emotionally or even with thoughts of depression, sadness or self-worth. We have some students who wrestle with substance abuse, while others face challenges with peers, classmates or family members. Finally, some students are confronted with barriers as a result of language, culture, skin color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and gender identity.
When our nearly 15,000 students show up each day to learn, grow, experience and develop, we must meet them where they are and be able to recognize that in order to provide educational experiences, some students carry burdens and challenges that ultimately interfere with their ability to fully engage and be available for learning. As an educational institution and a community, we exist to support students to reach their fullest and greatest potential. We must, at the same time, create environments and learning conditions that are safe, comfortable, welcoming and inclusive for each of our students. I see this as the true and ultimate purpose of our Educational Equity Policy and in many ways, an intersection with the themes within the month of February of love, tolerance, peace and support.
I have just returned from an educational mission trip in the country of Guatemala. I had the opportunity to join a group of educational leaders and professionals from across the United States and Canada working together to build a school in a rural town using the sustainable product of recyclable beverage bottles. The experience was eye-opening and provided a unique and authentic learning opportunity for me that helped to reshape my worldview and perspective on many things. This mission trip reignited my passion and interest in public education, and at the same time reminded me that schools exist to inspire and develop the hopes, dreams, aspirations and limitless possibilities for our students.
As the proud superintendent of the Thompson School District, I believe that our community and families entrust the school district to provide the very best educational experiences and opportunities for our students; I take this responsibility to heart each and every day, just like I know our nearly 2,100 employees do. I am a community member, a parent, and an employee of this school district. I do embrace the ideals of supporting the whole child as well as working to create the learning environments that “Empower students to learn, challenge them to achieve, and inspire them to excel.” These are not just words on a page, but our mission and compass within Thompson School District.
When our nearly 15,000 students show up each day to learn, grow, experience and develop, we must meet them where they are and be able to recognize that in order to provide educational experiences, some students carry burdens and challenges that ultimately interfere with their ability to fully engage and be available for learning.