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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY RICKY D. HERNANDEZ

Let’s Seize the Moment in the

New Year for Arizona’s Kids

On behalf of your AASBO Board of Directors and sta and my Last month, I took my two boys to watch the movie, “Coco.”
own family, I hope everyone has a blessed holiday season! During My boys and I were amazed at the traditions from our cultural
this time of year, we are reminded about the special people in our roots as Mexican-Americans. Two big lessons I took away from
lives and the amazing things that we have accomplished during the movie are – family is everything and we must always seize our
the past 12 months. Public education continues to be one of the moment. Our schools, our teachers, our students – they are part of
singular greatest gi s that our communities bestow on our kids. It our family. What we do to support them will help ensure that we
is more than just a path toward moving people out of poverty, but build a legacy in the lives of each of the students entrusted to our
it is also a part of creating dynamic, engaged citizens. care. e example of the Save Our Schools initiative to push back
We’ve faced plenty of challenges during the past year and against ESAs was a prime impetus to show this is our moment to
together we’ve come to realize that our greatest strength in each seize. We need to ride the wave of commitment to public education.
of our communities is how we are capable of overcoming those It’s important that we size this opportunity to make great things
through perseverance and unity. e dynamics of each of our happen for our students and their schools.
communities help build the unique legacy in each of our students Our responsibility now is to re ect on what our individual
through the power of education. We continue to face challenges commitments will be to this moment. In the book, “ e Leadership
in our schools and for our kids, but it’s going to take all of us – Challenge” by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, they present the ve
together – to continue to push forward in doing what’s right for our practices of exemplary leaders. As leaders in our community
schools. It is easy to go through the motions of ALL the di culties entering 2018, we must ask ourselves: Do I model the way? Do I
we’ve encountered – the ESA expansion; capital funding cuts; no inspire a shared vision? Do I challenge the process? Do I enable
full day Kindergarten; low teacher pay; special education funding others to act? Do I encourage the heart?
issues – and the list goes on. I have no illusions that these are not ank you to everyone for all the work you do for our students,
di cult challenges. Ou r state MUST overcome these if we are to our schools and our communities. I wish you all many blessings for
stay true to the promise we make to our kids. in the New Year! ¡Adelante!

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