SLO County Office of Education: Education—Opportunities & Challenges

James

Brescia, Ed.D.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

EDUCATION

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES

“If OPPORTUNITY doesn’t knock, BUILD a door.” - Milton Berle

Forbes magazine reported that 2021 and beyond would present challenges and opportunities for businesses. A quote from the magazine says, “We can learn a lot from the last year. New opportunities will present themselves that either didn’t exist before the pandemic or are the result of an accelerated trend created by the pandemic.” Another quote from Albert Einstein says, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

Schools can take a page from these insights to begin a new year. School leaders, educators, students, and communities desire classrooms that are safe, welcoming, and inspire success. The pandemic presented us with the daunting challenge of providing academic support and facilitating school spirit under conditions made necessary by safety precautions. However, this new year offers opportunities to start anew as we continue to scale up in-person learning opportunities while perfecting hybrid offerings made possible through technology. School communities must also balance the well-being of students with academic assessments.

In my career spanning many roles as parent, teacher, principal, district superintendent, college instructor, and county superintendent, I observed firsthand the opportunities and challenges of boosting school spirit under varying circumstances. I learned the importance of planning for both the present and the future. This article highlights a few strategies to help our community leverage opportunities and meet challenges in building positive school culture.

When building the culture of any organization, it is vital to engage everyone in the process and listen to all views. We must rally the team together in full support of goals and objectives. We can ask ourselves several questions. Are the students, families, teachers, support staff, and community informed, involved, and engaged in school success? How frequently do we facilitate feedback about making school a place where students are invested? We need to listen, respond, and modify offerings appropriately while openly stating limitations if we solicit feedback. The entire community deserves to know what is possible and what is not possible.

As we continue, additional questions come into play. What did we learn from our experience with online engagement that we can continue or modify during in-person activities? What is best completed in person, and what can be accomplished in a virtual environment? How can we strengthen engagement with what we have learned during the pandemic?

Are we prepared to address the avoidance issues associated with increased in-person services, including large-scale meetings, sports events, drama productions, music performances, and other activities? The enthusiasm and anxiety accompanying expanded in-person events and activities offer opportunities and challenges. Do we promote a fuller engagement or more engagement?

Regular review and reflection of equity and access present additional opportunities and challenges for schools. The pandemic highlighted economic and academic disparities that exist in every community. What do we observe as we walk the school hallways and review online environments? We should notice the pictures on the walls, trophies in the cases, art displays, sports banners, materials available, and facilities. Are the opportunities accessible to all students? How do we address the challenges? Are multiple cultures represented in our materials, activities, and displays? Child and adolescent development experts profess the goal of belonging no matter the interests, abilities, family origin, economic level, or ethnic background as a tool in building positive community environments. Law enforcement experts have identified belonging as a significant deterrent in school violence and disruptive behaviors.

As we contemplate what it means to be part of a school community, we should regularly review a school’s core values. What does it mean to be an Eagle, Triton, or Banana Slug? When the entire community provides input on an institution’s guiding principles, we leverage opportunities and better address challenges. Research indicates that higher student and community support levels emerge when schools highlight community-generated pillars such as self-advocacy, perseverance, integrity, engagement, responsibility, and citizenship. With the genuine involvement of community members, our schools can thrive and better meet the needs of our changing society.

Finally, we must acknowledge the work of key members of our school communities. Bus drivers, cafeteria workers, office staff, yard duty personnel, business office teams, administrators, coaches, assistants, and teachers are dedicated individuals providing service to students and the community. Most people enter public service to make a difference for the good of society. Covid-19 forced these public service employees to rapidly change how services were delivered to keep operations moving forward. There were mistakes made and lessons learned during the pandemic. As we continue to move forward, our public service employees will serve the community.

Whatever 2022 brings, I sincerely thank the entire community for your continued support of our students, families, employees, and schools. It is an honor to serve as your County Superintendent of Schools. 