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With the theme of ?We Stick Together? KISD welcomed back teachers and staff on the last Friday of the summer August 30. Starting with cheers led by Associate Superintendent Dr. Karen Furman, the 200 plus teachers present moved on to share tears with a remembrance of two staff members who died over the summer, Laura Autry and Ross Shreves.
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KISD Athletic Director Richard Barrett introduced a 15 video made for the occasion with a few words about the two. He said that ?They were very different people but they did share some traits that were very good as well. One was their passion. ?{{more}}They loved teaching. They loved their students. They loved being in a classroom. They loved Kennedale ISD. Their success in the classroom was directly related to their passion. They performed in the classroom and got their students to move forward. Not only did they have passion, they had purpose. They knew their calling. They knew what they were supposed to do. And, they imparted their knowledge to their students.”
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Afterwards Board President Joe Taylor welcomed the staff on behalf of the KISD School Board. Taylor told them “it was an honor to be their school board president and I want to thank you for all that you do.” ??He told them about his son Ben who was a graduate of KISD and had begun teaching a few months ago. In his senior year at TCU he was approved for Teach America, a program that works in schools where students are under-served. ?Ben had spent most of the summer teaching in Houston with 9th grade students. He started a few weeks ago teaching in the Oak Clift area in Dallas. “These 12 and 13 years already knew what a hard life can be.”
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“We know that you put up with a lot of things that you didn?t sign on for. I know there are times that I am very frustrated. But you keep on doing this, you come back year after year and you pour yourself in it. You are our ?boots on the ground?. The one Theodore Roosevelt referred to as ‘the ones in the trenches’. From the school board we see that, we see what you do and we see some of the result and we just want to say with our welcome you back thank you and appreciate you more than we probably have time to say. We are doing all we know how to make your work place a happy place; to make it more comfortable and safe; to be what we do more transparent; to involve our stakeholders; to have good vision and set good goals; to develop more opportunities and to be good stewards.”?
He went back to his son Ben. “In his first week of school, he had the students tell their stories and he had some students tell stories that were heart wrenching. But what he was asking those students was to understand that the chapters behind them doesn?t have to define the chapters ahead. I think this helps explain what most of what you are doing. You are helping your students to find their stories and working on them to help write good ones. We appreciate you. We know that you are why Kennedale schools are great and we hope that the stories you are writing this year are truly great.”
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In the last remarks of the day, Superintendent Gary Dugger along with Dr. Furman set the goal of winning the Lone Star Cup this year. Kennedale High School came in 2nd this year to Argyle High School. The Lone Star is a highly coveted statewide award that is based on academic, fine arts and athletic achievement.?
Dugger in closing told the assembled teachers that “as always one of the main focuses is to provide the very best education possible to the kids of Kennedale.” ?He said that in preparing for his remarks, he thought of the lyrics to the song ?The Man in the Mirror?
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I’m Starting With The Man In The Mirror, I’m Asking Him To Change His Ways, And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer, If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place, Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change.
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“These lyrics remind me of so many wonder people in our district. Because of the influence of so many Kennedale teacher, administrators and staff, many KISD graduates have become teachers in KISD. This truly exhibits the value of making a difference in people?s lives.”?
“This year I would like to challenge everyone to look in the mirror. You have the power to make a difference in children lives every day. And that is something to be proud of. Let?s lead by example.”
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He had two closing statements first by reminding the teachers of the Cowboy motto: “If it not yours don?t take it. If it is not true don?t say it. If it is not right don?t do it.”
He continued ?Pretty strong words, pretty simple almost simple as the philosophy of Bill Robinson of Duck Dynasty? and the teachers sensing where he was headed shouted in unison with him ??Happy! Happy! Happy!?
Dugger dispatched the teachers with ??Have a good year.??
The school year had begun.?
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