Written by: Dr. Marcus Lewton - Interim Superintendent
Sitting Bull is credited with saying, "Let us put our minds together and see what life we can create for our children." In a world where some would like us to think we should work against one another, I have not found this to be true at Dickinson Public Schools or in the community of Dickinson. Whether it's the Southwest Area Career & Technical Education Academy, the Sanford Sports Complex, or the workings within a school building every day, we are lucky to live in a community and region that drives collaboration and supports our youth.
Last week Mr. Jeremy Wanner brought one of his classes to the Central Office to learn about possible careers in Government. As different DPS employees talked about their roles and the many hats they wear, it became clear that a school relies on many different people working together to provide opportunities for students and the community.
Last night I asked my daughter (4th grade at Lincoln), "how many adults did you talk to today?" I don't know how correct her number is, but she came up with 32. This number includes cooks, janitors, playground supervisors, crosswalk guards, teachers, technology paras, and a principal. If she was to ride the bus, we could add at least one more. A child relies on many different people working together to provide their education.
Children are not the only individuals who benefit from our schools. When I was a principal at DMS, we regularly had groups of community members utilizing our school. Whether it was Parks & Recreation Volleyball, dance, Optimist Basketball, or Boy Scouts, many organizations benefited from the administrative assistant who answered the phone, the activities director who scheduled the time, and a custodian who made sure the bathrooms were clean and the door locked. A community relies on many different people working together to build quality of life.
Last year I was afforded the opportunity to work with our local legislatures, political subdivisions, Regional schools, Stark County Development, Dickinson State University, and Trinity Catholic Schools to begin working on a regional Career & Technical Education Center. Recently, we added many of our surrounding communities to this amazing project. A region relies on many different people and organizations working together to sustain our economic development.
I reflect on what Sitting Bull said and realize that our region is becoming a trailblazer in collaboration because of you, the community members, and the adults who interact with our children every day. There are many exciting things for our district and community coming ahead. Perhaps most important is that our children can rely on us working together to create a better tomorrow.