Page 5 - The Edge - Back to School 2017

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY RICKY D. HERNANDEZ

We Are Part of Arizona’s K-12 Final Frontier

Like everyone who has kids in their lives, whether your own are the experts. What you do every day has a real impact on the
kids, your nieces and nephews, your grandkids, or the students you decisions made by our superintendents, our governing boards and
see in your schools every day, they are a remarkable reminder of our community leaders to help our schools. Remember that you’re
how quickly time goes by! the gatekeeper for the promise that our state’s forbearers made to
A er coming o another incredible Summer Conference in support a “general and uniform public school system.” Beyond our
Tucson, we each were tasked to, “…discover new ideas, explore o ce jobs, we have a duty to defend the great work that our public
beyond your own communities and reach out to new people schools are doing.
who can be your crewmates.” It’s always amazing to see the level We need to be part of that dialog that is taking place in our
of dedication to Arizona’s kids that is always noteworthy at our communities and at our Legislature about how we become part of
conferences. A new school year is upon us and it’s important that the uncharted territory that we still need to discover to improve
each of us take these three critical mission statements to heart. Arizona’s public school system. Whether you’re from small
When I chose the theme of our conference, “ e Final Frontier,” communities like Page, Window Rock, Nogales, or Bisbee, or large
it wasn’t really a nerdy love for all things space-related. e Final communities like Phoenix, Glendale, Tucson, or Marana we all have
Frontier is synonymous with the idea that there is an unexplored a role to play and a responsibility to help steer the course toward
and uncharted territory out there that we still need to discover. In our public education’s nal frontier. Our work, our expertise and
our case, part of that nal frontier is synonymous with the idea that our strength as an organization are the tools we have to defend that
there is so much more that we have yet to discover to help improve promise of public education.
the lives of our students through Arizona’s public education. Along the way we have and we will run up against critics of
We hear stories about how we’re at the bottom of many rankings what we do. When that happens – like I said at our conference’s
that deal with our work in school business. ere are many partners closing statement – we rise! Our job is to rise up for our students,
out there who want to work with our school business o cials on our families and our communities. We rise because it is our duty
how we can do better to help support the mission of educating as their public servants. Let’s rise for the great work we do in our
all of our public school students. ey turn to us because WE schools. ¡Adelante!

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