Why should you care who leads the schools?

by Dale Bohren
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:19 PM MST

Are you busy Wednesday evening, Feb. 13?

That’s the night three candidates for superintendent of the Natrona County School District will meet and answer questions from anyone who cares to submit them. The question and answer session will take place at the Kelly Walsh High School Auditorium at 6 p.m.

Why should you care?

Because as the leader of public education and the largest workforce in Natrona County, this individual will be the one responsible for big ticket items that affect everyone in the county.

Things that matter like how to engage, prepare and educate every child, some of whom have less than perfect home lives, for a rapidly changing world. Addressing and erasing the current 27.3 percent dropout rate. Deciding whether to provide more vocational learning tracks or not.

Everyone should care about how our public money is spent. Where, why and how future schools are built are questions that require vision, and that matters.

This individual will have a lot of influence on the learning environment and the culture in our schools. An involved superintendent can energize and empower the organization to tackle problems both within the educational system and in the community at large.

So someone who can inspire people matters.

The schools touch the lives of nearly every person in Natrona County. They matter. The leader of public education matters.

A rather large committee composed of representatives of the school board, the variety of school district employee groups plus parents and community representatives was formed in May of 2007 to undertake a national search and make a recommendation to the school board.

Employing a first-rate superintendent is an increasingly important task. You are being asked to come meet these candidates because your opinion matters. So come get a glimpse of the future.

Maybe that matters most of all.

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