One of the topics that has been consistently on the agenda for the Board of School Directors in St. Johnsbury is bringing back more of our PK through 6th-grade students for in-person instruction. The Agency of Education and the Department of Health's current guidance requires at least three feet of physical distance for those students while they are in our building. With the humblest and sincerest thanks to our Reopening Taskforce (Patrick Campbell, Lydia Cochrane, Louisa Driscoll, Jodie Elliott, Sharma Gencarelle, Kara Lufkin, Jody Oliver, Jeremy Ross, & Carolee Stuart) as well as our Faculty & Staff, we have developed a plan for this to happen in the coming weeks.
During our virtual meeting on Monday, January 18, we had the largest number of participants in any School Board meeting since I've been serving as superintendent in St. Johnsbury. At one point in the meeting, twenty-six people were participating. There was a spirited and collaborative discussion with members of the town staff about moving Town Meeting Day. We discussed the issue from all sides. One of the Teachers' Association's Co-Presidents was present and shared thoughtfully and respectfully the teachers' perspective. We heard from the Town Manager and the Town Clerk what the experience was like in August and November of holding votes during a pandemic. The School Board weighed all the points from the discussion and ultimately voted to move Town Meeting Day until Tuesday, April 6. The Select Board made a similar decision later the following week.
The next topic was the aforementioned increase of in-person instruction in our school. Our Co-Principals had combed through the forty-one-page document "A Strong and Healthy Start" and created a table for the Board to review. The table offered pressure points, based on the guidance, where we would have to make adjustments. The document reflected their critical analysis of the current guidance and multiple conversations with our faculty and staff about what the increase in our student body would look like. It was another thoughtful discussion in which various viewpoints were shared. Some parents contributed to this conversation, teachers weighed in, as did our board members.
Near the end of the discussion, as he typically does, Chair Mark Avery spoke. He carefully and reasonably summarized the discourse and thanked everyone for their participation, recognizing that this is one of the largest meetings he's been a part of as Board Chair. He then stated, "My personal opinion is that the students of St. Johnsbury should be back in school. But that doesn't mean I'm going to direct the superintendent and the leadership team to do so."
From the time I have been serving in this district, there has always been a mutual respect between the Board and me, as well as the Board and the Leadership Team. There is public dialogue that demonstrates disagreement but rarely has, if ever, been disagreeable. I have connected with people after meetings to ensure that statements from meetings were not taken the wrong way, to clarify any misunderstandings, and to reiterate the shared respect that is a hallmark of the working relationships we have in St. Johnsbury.
Our national political landscape, and to a much smaller extent, the one in Vermont, is littered with polarizing dialogue between adults serving in public office. While I don't expect what we do in our corner of the Green Mountain State to move the needle where we live, much less our nation, I take comfort in knowing that the educators serving in St. Johnsbury are led by a Board of School Directors who believe in their professionalism, their dedication to our students, and their commitment to meeting every student where they are in their learning journey.
Public dialogue in service to a diverse community should be just that: diverse. Which means we don't always have to agree with each other. It does mean we must respect each other. I have a deep respect for Mark Avery, Abigail Campbell, Ilene Dickinson, Tom Huntington, and Deane Rankin, who offer their service to St. Johnsbury's students and their families, as well as the larger community itself. I see that respect for all the employees in our school district, faculty, staff, and administration through their words and through their actions.
All of this makes me incredibly grateful and proud to serve this community.
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| Photo courtesy of http://mikewbrubaker.com/ |
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