Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson smiles at Kayla Lindgren as she and STEM trainer Robin Gibbs work on poetry throughout a cease at her outdated elementary college in tiny Antimony, Utah, on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Among the best issues about working for the Utah State Board of Schooling is the chance to go to colleges throughout the state. I've been to varsities in all 41 districts and lots of constitution colleges, the place I get to mingle with our nice educators. These educators are shining examples not solely to their college students within the classroom, but additionally to households, associates and the communities they serve. Our educators have been via a number of of the hardest years of their profession, and but they're greeting the brand new yr with hope, eagerness and enthusiasm.
Educators can usually be discovered residing quiet, unassuming lives, not looking for nice wealth or a spot within the highlight, however pleased sufficient for the prospect to make a distinction within the lives of their college students and the varsity neighborhood wherein they serve. In a really actual sense, they're serving to to construct our future by educating our subsequent technology of fogeys and leaders.
Miki Conklin Rowan, a trainer at Hurricane Elementary College in southern Utah, was one in every of these influential and galvanizing educators.
Miki died from most cancers simply sooner or later after college ended final Might. I had the privilege of studying a touching social media submit about Miki’s life that was just lately shared by principal Matthew Lowe. Within the submit, principal Lowe shared a narrative from Miki’s household about how Miki confirmed care and concern for her college students whilst she was nearing the tip of her life. Principal Lowe wrote:
“The evening earlier than she handed, Miki began saying and experiencing issues from her life as if she was there within the second. These have been vivid reminiscences or hallucinations, and perhaps each, however she was there within the second. In one of many candy moments on the finish, after she couldn’t speak, she was a primary grade Spanish trainer once more. She would level to her watch and pantomime to her college students and smile … she was undoubtedly together with her college students in that second.”
Principal Lowe described Miki as “a uncommon particular person who may work more durable than you on a challenge and nonetheless allow you to really feel such as you owned the work. She may inform a narrative about you … and make you the hero of the story. Miki was merely a builder.”
The need to be a builder was one in every of Miki’s guiding rules in her private life, in addition to in her classroom. She even had a be aware with the phrases, “Are you constructing?” posted on her mirror in order that she may see it every morning and reply the query for herself.
Within the coming days, college students, lecturers and administrative workers all through Utah might be returning to highschool for an additional yr of studying, educating, making associates, collaborating in extracurricular actions. I like to consider every new college yr as a brand new starting — a chance for us to reevaluate, reset and recommit to being the perfect individuals we may be.
A technique we will make this college yr the perfect one but is by following Miki’s instance and dealing collectively to be builders.
Let’s work on constructing belief with and amongst educators, workers, dad and mom and communities.
Let’s construct constructive classroom and college cultures so that each pupil feels related, cared about and secure.
Let’s construct partnerships with dad and mom with the widespread bond of wanting the perfect for his or her youngster.
Let’s construct stronger ecosystems of assist for the adults who work in our faculty methods.
And at last, let’s work to construct higher outcomes for all college students so they're ready for his or her future, and for contributing to a stronger democracy, economic system and citizenry.
This college yr, let’s be higher. Let’s dedicate ourselves to bringing about constructive change. As you allow your property within the morning, as you seize your automobile keys, or your lunch field or look within the mirror one final time earlier than you step out into the world to start a brand new day, keep in mind to ask your self, like Miki did, “are you constructing?”
Sydnee Dickson has been serving as Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction since June of 2016.