By Akil E. Ross, Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
How do you know when times have changed? I knew times were changing after attending the School District Five teacher and staff hiring event on Saturday, January 11th. The event was attended by many highly qualified educators and role models, which built my excitement about the future of education in School District Five. At this event, our school district signed 17 teachers to contracts for the 2025 – 2026 school year. This growth in teacher hires was a welcome sign in times of teacher shortages. However, I was struck by another fact that made it very clear that times have changed. We signed a secondary-level social studies teacher who was born two years after the 9-11 attacks.
Imagine students asking their teacher about September 11, 2001, and the teacher will not be able to give first-hand knowledge because they were not born at the time. I have always assumed that today’s history teachers had the same life experiences that my history teachers had. I had not realized that times have been changing for the students and the teachers. Author John C. Maxwell is quoted as saying, “Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” The failure to recognize and adapt to change is commonplace because few people like to change. Change creates instability and unfamiliarity, which results in stress. It is human nature to seek familiarity and stability. Psychologists call the tendency to focus on what remains the same and ignore what has changed “status quo bias.” Due to the difficulty in recognizing incremental change in our society, institutions such as school districts struggle to innovate for the future. The powerful momentum of “status quo bias” pressures schools and all social institutions to stick with what has worked in the past.
There is good news. When we refuse to let comfort interfere with progress, we can change the world for the better. Benjamin Franklin said, “Change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life.” School District Five Superintendent’s Parent and Student Advisory Councils have been working since the beginning of the school year to provide the District with new strategies for adapting to change. With a united voice, each advisory stated that their top expectation for school improvement is for the District to ensure that every child is prepared for his or her future career. Converting a mass delivery system of standards to an individualized learning environment is no easy task, but ensuring that all students have the skills to be successful in their future endeavors is worth the change.
We will rely on our vision as our guide. Our faculty and staff are committed to a future where every student feels loved in our schools, and every student has demonstrated academic growth in our schools. As a result, we are committed to showing our love for our students by knowing each child’s future aspirations. We are committed to growing every student by celebrating their strengths and enriching their weaknesses. To achieve this vision, we will need the help of families and community members. Our district will soon begin to share individual success criteria for each student so that families can understand the skills needed to be successful. In a world of constant change, it is vital to focus on the things that will never change, and that it takes a village to raise a child is a universal truth. As a community of educators, parents, mentors, coaches, tutors, and students all working together on the same success criteria, we will collectively bring forth a day where every child feels loved in our schools, and every child has demonstrated academic growth in our schools.
