Both my wife's and my lives have been spent in the school system as teachers, mentors, and leaders promoting public education to the best of our abilities. Both of us have been voted teacher of the year from our respective schools, and Fran was named Berkeley County teacher of the year for the entire district. When being interviewed by the media for that honor, she was asked what made her so speci
al: she sometimes replied," I dance with my students." Teaching is every bit a calling as it is for the ministry and medical doctors. Each age group of children needs those special people who understand their emotional and academic needs. A kindergarten teacher will receive children on the first day of school who come from homes where they were taught well, with broad experiences, while others come to school fearing the great unknown scared, and crying. That teacher must first encourage all students and raise their comfort level before she can teach the curriculum. Elementary teachers must convince all students that they "are good enough" to excel. Middle school teachers need to follow in ways that students feel challenged without feeling defeated while exposing them to a world of opportunity in the arts, technology, and athletics. High school teachers are tasked with honing the students' gifts and supporting them in their efforts to be the best they can be. All of this has to be accomplished with all sorts of students, students from good supporting educated families to students living with a grandmother sleeping in a bed with three or four siblings—sometimes coming to school smelling like urine or in the winter kerosene. We need a teacher who can dance with all these children, regardless of grade level. It is one we need to keep and cherish. But I am not sure we are doing that. We seem to have fewer teachers to fill the classrooms of our district and fewer dedicated professionals every year. Maybe, even worse, we are losing gifted, talented teachers who leave teaching for more lucrative positions more aligned with their educational and professional capabilities. I would like to see that change. Every good principal knows nothing improves student learning more than a gifted teacher who knows how to dance with students. Every employee's mission is to support student learning; what better way than giving every teacher the support and encouragement to do their best? That's why I am running for the Berkeley County School Board.
