Dear Students, Family Members, and Educators,
I wish you well during school year 2020-2021, and I urge you to keep a good focus throughout the year.
To Students
Take some time to outline your goals and vision--know where you are headed. That might be as simple as using your manners and completing your assignments to the best of your ability or as complex as learning to perfect a craft and start a small Internet business. Whatever your aim, make time to write down your goals and revisit those goals often. What's most important to you is that your learn and move towards your goals in happy, positive ways.
To Family Members
When you had your children, you signed on to put yourselves second to your children's welfare and needs. Some may contest this statement, but I believe it is true. It is the family's job to care well for their children, and during 2020-2021, that will take greater energy, courage, and effort than usual. During this time, begin by making a date with each of your children to discuss their goals and vision for the school year. Also take time to discuss what those children need to do to remain strong, responsible, and loving family members. Share the household chores, be responsible to one another and your neighbors/community, and help each other out.
I recommend that families establish good routines and study/work spaces. Research comunity agencies and supports, and make use of what's available. Don't be afraid to reach out for help--think about the resources that will help your family to be safe, healthy, happy, and positively productive. Remember this will probably last six months to a year, and that is a relatively short time when you think of the many years you'll enjoy each others company and work together for common goals and good living.
To Educators
Be safe. Do what you can to be safe from illness and be able to take care of your own lives and the lives of your children. That is a first priority.
Make time to establish good relationships for those in your charge--relationships will be the key to any good learning that happens.
Create common goals and establish a community of learners that support one another--that too will lead to educational success during this highly unusual and challenging year.
Find areas to pinpoint and develop your teaching craft and commitment for the long term.
Work with colleagues, your union, and the community to make sure that a good education continues to hold value. Don't put up with less than that. Educators may take care of children, but educators are not childcare workers, educators are teachers--people that help students grow in ways that elevate their knowledge, concept, and skill. This is vital to good living for individuals, communities, and the nation. Work to elevate this truth as well as the respect for educators and conditions for excellence.
Educators are vital to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and it's time to reimagine what this means for modern times. Continue to advocate for excellence in education for all our nation's children, and continue to combat the efforts of some privateers who don't truly care about children, but instead seek to use education as a means of personal profit and power instead.
To All
There's a part of me that regrets not traveling this path with you, but I know I needed to retire at this time due to personal health concerns and family needs. For me it has always been family first, and I am heeding this call now after a long and satisfying 34-year career as an educator. As I've noted before, I'll be rooting and advocating for you from the sidelines. I hope you will continue to look for silver linings as you discover the promise in the pandemic problem--a promise that feeds the future rather than takes away from it. My best to all of you.