Denton ISD Our Impact In Your Community Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 6

Let’s continue to work together to make
Denton ISD better than ever
By Dr. Jamie Wilson
Superintendent
of Schools
W
e’re going all-out to wrap up the spring semester, so I want to reiterate how proud I am
of all of our teachers and staff for making this another successful school year. We have
spent many hours on instruction, enrichment, intervention, and emotional support for our
students – and are seeing the fruits of our labor as the school year slowly winds down.
This is an exciting time of year because you get to see the growth in students on all levels.
Whether its academically, socially or physically, this is the point where our teachers know
that that same little 5-year old who was scared to walk into the kindergarten classroom is
now a strong-willed 6-year old ready for first grade.
Growth is what we want from all of our students as they continue to mature through our
district. We want that growth to continue when they leave Denton ISD, so their professors,
employers and supervisors know that our students are dependable and difference-makers
in higher education or the global workforce.
Our teachers are on the forefront in leading this charge, with each one of us playing a role in
helping our students cross that finish line. And for that reason it’s great to know what we’ll
be recognizing our Jostens Teachers of the Year in April.
Those of us in education know how special it is to work with students every day and see the
gains and improvements they make from the beginning of the school year to the end. Our
families see that same process too and they’re often the first to let us know when they’re
students have reached an academic milestone or if there is still room for improvement.
Either way, the important thing to remember is that feedback is vital and appreciated.
Many of you took part in helping us gather that feedback by taking part in our second annual
school climate and culture survey. This was our opportunity to hear back from many of you,
our stakeholders, regarding the progress of our students and staff at the campus most
closely linked to you and your family. If you missed this opportunity, there will be others as
we continue to track the development in the four core areas that our community has told
us to focus on: Teaching and Learning, Opportunities for Students, Culture/Climate and
Growth/Management.
As always, we welcome your input. Please contact your campus principal if you’d like to
brag on a teacher who has helped a student you know or if you have an idea on how we
can make our schools a better learning environment for all of our students. We need to hear
both to continue to get better and I want you to know that just as gathering feedback from
our employees is important, hearing from our parents and community members is also vital
in helping us make the climate and culture at our campuses as best as they can be.
Remember the future is not something you enter, it is something we create.
And in Denton ISD, we’re working to create it together.
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