Connecting the dots

Kentucky School Advocate
April 2022

By Davonna Page
KSBA President

If you are like me, you are still energized and inspired from February’s KSBA Annual Conference. The event provided training and networking opportunities galore, each strategically set to support the weekend’s theme: Connect the Dots. This month’s issue of the Advocate includes, among other things, a conference recap celebrating the connections made and the special moments that impact us still.

As we learned during #KSBA22, part of being an effective leader in your district means you must connect the dots every day. Connecting community members to the work of your district. Connecting parents to your district’s mission. Connecting with your colleagues across the Commonwealth to learn and share ideas during the best of times or in times of crisis. And connecting with legislators to advocate on behalf of our system of common schools and in the best interest of our students.

This past December, in the aftermath of devastating tornadoes across much of western and south-central Kentucky, we all witnessed just how powerful – and important – those connections are. Within minutes of the storms, you and your districts connected with others across Kentucky to collect countless busloads of critical supplies and together raised millions of dollars to aid recovery efforts. The response, made possible by our connections to one another, will be remembered for generations to come.

KSBA works hard to connect the dots as well. The association fosters connections with our colleagues in other education stakeholder groups who share our priorities, seeking common ground and a united front whenever possible. We frequently (and quite effectively) connect with legislators in Frankfort who are constitutionally bound to support our schools. KSBA maintains connections with education industry leaders – like those who regularly participate in our tradeshows and sponsor our programs – and with our peer associations in other states.

Most importantly, we strive every day to connect with you, Kentucky’s locally elected school board members. Time after time the strength of our connections has been tested. Stretched, but never broken. That is because of the unwavering love we all have for our students and our shared call to move public education forward.

On behalf of KSBA, we look forward to the continued strengthening of our connections in 2022 and beyond. I wish your districts all the success during the remainder of the school year.