‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’

This winter song captures the feeling all of us had last week when I called the first cold-weather day of my career.  In fact, the call was an easy decision as the near 30-degree-below wind-chills were a scary proposition for our children to navigate. I have used the recent speaking circuit to personally apologize to parents for keeping their children home an additional day. And I am sure the longer than expected winter break had more than one parent more ready than ever to have school start up again.

As far as that speaking circuit, I have really enjoyed meeting with many of our stakeholder groups to present information concerning the Feb. 11 school bond issue. Our school district has set up more than 100 informational opportunities to present facts and answer questions about the bond issue, and as I attend these sessions I am reminded how much value is placed on education in our city.  The special election to vote on a $153 million LPS bond issue will be a mail-in election – ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the school district – so there are many unknowns.  That makes it even more important for us to provide information to our community about this issue.  You can find a list of the remaining informational community presentations at http://www.lps.org/2014bond/ –  I  encourage anyone with questions/concerns to attend.

Meanwhile, I also love the part of my job that allows me to visit schools and interact with staff and students.  Today, I began my morning at Lincoln East High School to videotape a program about the upcoming Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations, student march and rally.  When you view this video you will be captivated by two young ladies who exhibit tremendous passion for organizing an event that honors a man who has helped change the course of history.   I could have stayed and talked with them all day.

We are all looking forward to a great second semester that will have us continuing our work – including an emphasis on technology and addressing the growing needs of our students who struggle with mental health and behavioral issues.  But I sure hope 2014 doesn’t include any more cold weather days.

Steve