By David Webster
KSBA President
Have you ever had a cricket get in your house? How annoying the chirping noise can be. It will drive you crazy. It seems to start chirping just when you are trying to relax. A time when you want to unwind and take your mind off the things you have faced all day. When you finally get into bed after a hard day’s work and are ready for a good night’s rest – chirp!
Oh, how annoying it is! So you get up, and as soon as your feet hit the floor, no chirping. You climb back into bed, settle in and get comfortable and – chirp! So you try once more, you slowly get up but as soon as your feet hit the floor, they stop chirping again. It seems to be a never-ending cycle until the cricket finally reveals itself. Then you can handle the problem.
You know, this is a lot like being on the local board of education. You do all you can to try and make sure the work you are doing for your school system is the best to your ability. You are confident in what you and the other board members have done. However, no matter your feelings of satisfaction, you are constantly hearing of derogatory things being said about the school board throughout the community. The negativity surrounding the conversations about the school board can amount to continual “chirping.”
So, being a responsible board member, you seek out where the chirping is coming from, but when you join the conversation, the chirping stops. You leave, and they start again so you try again to join the conversation only to have them stop again, just like the crickets do when you are searching for them.
It’s funny how people can act so much like insects, like crickets. Chirping constantly until the possibility of being exposed and then they cease. It is really annoying, isn’t it?
Never, and I emphasize never, let this type of negative gossip get to you. Always remember as you focus on the students of your district and their education, the chirping means nothing. It may be annoying, but not destructive. Let the creatures make all the noise they want to, but you can make a louder noise with the great accomplishments of your students.
Publicize the great things your schools are doing. It will quiet the critics and you will be the one chirping with joy for your students. You have many great things happening in your districts and they are worthy of being shouted out loud. All of your schools’ advancements will drown out the noise of any of the chirping crickets in your community.
When you keep your students at the forefront of your decisions, are confident that you are doing the best for your schools and you believe in serving your community – you can silence even the loudest crickets.
“Aspire to inspire before you expire.”