Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator
As the end of the 2015-16 school year draws to a close, this is a great time to take stock of all that we have accomplished together this past year. Over the course of the last 12 months we have taken an already strong and thriving agency and moved it even further forward. We’ve done this through our collective courage to challenge the status quo on important and often sacred topics such as leadership structure, divisional silos, the future of our facilities, budget allocations, and various roles within our agency. To be clear, none of this was easy. Change requires a willingness to scrutinize current practice and ask truly tough questions. In doing so, egos can get bruised and organizational climate can temporarily dip. Some people become so uncomfortable with the process of change that they make the decision to leave the organization. And then something incredible happens–people begin to see the positive results of the change and they understand the sacrifice.
I want to applaud each of you for hanging in there this past year and doing your best despite some challenging times. I can say with confidence that the changes we have made this year will ultimately pay great dividends for those we serve and solidify our value in the education system.
This summer, take some time to reflect on all that we have accomplished together. I trust that each of you will seek time for family, friends, recreation, vacation…whatever it is that rejuvenates you for the year ahead. We have a lot to accomplish for adults and students in the coming year!
In case our paths don’t cross before, I look forward to seeing each of you on August 11 at the all staff meeting in Marshalltown. We have a great day planned for you with lots of fun, learning and reconnecting. Until then, enjoy the summer. And thanks.