Things I've learned in the past year:
1) There are so many people willing to help make our school community a better place. I asked parents to help with a traffic committee and had a dozen responses in no time. We asked for help with the Parent Party and got a graphic artist, a raffle chair and pay-to-play organizers lined up. I could go on and on.
2) Our teachers are creative, innovative and dedicated. They're being taught new ways to engage our students in reading and math, and they love it. They want more coaching and training. They want to experiment with the techniques in the classroom. They are not mailing it in--they're reinventing.
3) Our school truly is a public/private partnership. Lafayette schools aren't great because we care about education (although it certainly helps). Our schools are great because we care enough and can afford to donate thousands of dollars for teacher aides, music education, science, technology, reading and math specialists and teacher training. We're willing and able to pay more property taxes to protect our schools.
4) Sure, the state budget is a mess, and the way things get funded is confusing. I wish we could wipe it all clean and start over. But we can't. And once again, we're faced with a crisis. If we voters don't support the tax initiatives in November, our district will lose an estimated $1.2 million. We need to spread the word.
5) All of this dedication from parents, educators and residents makes Lafayette a truly special place to live. I have been honored to serve on behalf of our BVE community this year. It has been time well spent. I know that Angela Ketcham, our new PTA President, will have a fabulous year. She has been my sounding board and go-to person. I hope she finds it as rewarding as I have.
