January is the beginning of the new year of my four year board term. We are elected in a November election and then take office the first of January. Last year I was elected Board president and it was quite a year. The superintendent that was in place when I was elected, resigned in June. We had an incredible interim superintendent in Suzanne Zentner, who had been the executive director of Talent Management. Suzanne served the District well in this role from June until October. She continues to be an integral part of our leadership team and I so value her contributions.
We went through the Arizona School Board Association to find a new superintendent. Shane McCord was selected in September and started the first of October. What an amazing four months we have had with Shane at the helm!! GPS is on its way back (in my humble opinion) to being the best District in Arizona.
For the past four months, I have been able to truly serve the District as a board member and be a part of some incredible happenings. Because public education is underfunded and a myriad of other issues, it will always be a difficult job, but it has truly been a pleasure working with the other Board Members and the administration, faculty, staff, students, and parents.
We had our organizational meeting last week and I was touched to be elected Board President for another year. I look forward to the next three years of service to GPS. It will be a difficult, but extremely important journey and I believe in the people we have in place!
As I look back on my wonderful educational career, I am blessed to have had the experiences that I have had and the wonderful relationships that have been built through the years.
When I retired in July, 2015, I was worried about what I would do with my life after so many years (and hours) of working. I shouldn't have been as my days are filled.
I can continue to count these past three years as part of my career in education from being a substitute principal in Gilbert, to working with ASU and mentoring a principal, to my time on the Board. Not many people can say that they have had a career that spans 47 years. I had 44 years of "regular" employment in the schools to now. Although I don't get paid anything, I am getting way more than a paycheck could ever bring.
I have three more years on the Board which will bring me to 49 years (as I am counting this year in the 47). I don't know what three years will bring, but I may just have to run for one more term to get 50 years in! Who knows? But as I said previously, I am blessed in more ways that I can express!!
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