Image courtesy Pixabay

In our fast-changing world, new and urgent problems seem to arise almost daily, problems that will require creativity, ingenuity and resilience if we are to solve them. Today, as our economy changes, the labor market requires more workers with education beyond high school, be that a two- or four-year college diploma or a high-value certification. More employers in our community need adaptable, curious, lifelong learners.    

Essential to developing students ready to solve pressing problems and step into the jobs of the future is a thriving school district. We are lucky to have a district that has maintained its A rating since 2004, when the current system was launched. We are lucky to have so many amazing teachers.

Our best teachers nurture curiosity and instill in their students an expansive mindset, illuminating opportunities while helping young people find their purpose. Purpose is essential because without it, students progress along their K – 12 journeys unintentionally. Too many graduate without a plan.

As a mother of three, I have seen how teachers have inspired my own children, how they have challenged them—and how they have cared for them. This final point can’t be overstated. Caring teachers, especially during challenging times, provide invaluable support and assurance. Their kindness ripples outward, promoting a more compassionate community.

Teachers play a pivotal role in developing our next generation of innovators and creators—developing the young people who will keep our community thriving. So do the schools themselves. And again, we’re lucky to live in Sarasota County, where schools have so much to offer students. 

Music and choir rooms, aqua domes, computer labs, science labs, gardens, theaters, sports facilities, media centers, JROTC centers, art spaces: schools across Sarasota County afford our young people countless opportunities to discover their passions. They provide places for students to try, to succeed, even to fail. In failure, after all, there is discovery.

Our best schools are places where students can find a purpose and where they can access technology, experiential learning, and a vibrant, diverse community, all key ingredients in preparing young people for the 21^st century.

As the president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, I have a unique view of our school district and get to see every day the power of exceptional educators. I get to visit amazing facilities where our students can glimpse into the future and imagine possible pathways after their high school graduation.

Creating and sustaining an A-rated school district is no easy task and building the district and innovating education to keep pace with our changing world will require a collective, sustained effort. Our district, like districts across the country, faces great challenges.

The need to attract and retain great teachers could not be greater. The need to provide hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences and new technologies to captivate young minds could not be greater. The need to make opportunities more accessible could not be greater. The health of our community and our country depends upon it.

Great teachers and schools nourish our students. They help them find purpose and discover new pathways—and they help prepare them for success. It is incumbent upon us that we nourish our teachers and our schools too.

Jennifer Vigne is president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

Image courtesy Pixabay