Greetings Senator Nation,
As we unveil the year 2022, we must continue to be appreciative of our overall wellness and health. Over the past two weeks we have experienced uncertainty and unexpectancy in our efforts to provide safe in-person learning opportunities for our students and staff due to COVID-19. I am extremely grateful for our commitment to stay the course while demonstrating great flexibility and resilience. I urge everyone to edify a higher level of patience, kindness and give each other the benefit of any doubt as we continue on this journey.
This week my leadership team and I grappled with more extenuating circumstances in reaching decisions regarding how to proceed with the operation of designated classrooms and impacted schools. I want to emphasize that we are empathetic in understanding that our decision to shift Dover High School and Kent County Secondary Intensive Learning Center to remote learning had widespread implications for our students, staff, and parents. We do not take these decisions lightly. I became acutely aware of some growing anxiety being fueled by an undercurrent of hurt manifested by the symptoms of trauma that we are all experiencing. I need to reiterate that the decision to shift a classroom or impacted school to remote is not something that can always be determined before the school day ends or within the time table of the late afternoon. In full transparency, staff related absences information is reported late into the evening and sometimes in the morning. Implications for nurse coverage and a well vetted plan can fall apart with more absence requested calls that we receive information for late evening and early morning. Please know that we will make every effort to provide information as timely as possible.
I want to give a shout out to the Capital Board of Education for the consideration and willingness to listen to all of the stakeholders including me. I want to thank the Capital Educators Association for granting me with the opportunity to schedule time to better understand growing concerns.
This week, I participated in a variety of meetings with members of the Capital School District Board of Education, my leadership team, parents, my CEO’s Presidents Council, legislators and community partners. I also visited schools Central Middle School, KSCIL (before they shifted to remote) East Elementary School and Town Point Elementary School Additionally, I had the pleasure of participating in training convened by the Pathways to Literacy Academy. This leadership program is designed for educational leaders that want to learn more about the connection between the science of reading research and best practices for instruction we can adopt in advancing literacy in our schools. I want to publicly commend our building leaders and district office leaders that are participating. I especially, enjoyed learning more about how we can advance continuous improvement of the instructional core.
As I close, I want to share again that we are all experiencing trauma and most of us are in a heightened state as a result.
It is my conviction that we must be reminded that the time has come for us all to illuminate “Senator Leadership” by edifying more love by showing more consideration especially when we are frustrated. If you are not pleased with the actions of someone in the Senator Family, I urge you to take a step back and reflect. Then reach out to that senator to seek more understanding. I assure you that most conflict is rooted in misunderstanding and/or lack of understanding and/or ineffective communication.
Finally, Senators, let us be reminded of the core values that we have adopted—Excellence through Equity, Unity through Love, and Leadership through Inclusiveness. If we are to operationalize these core values then it starts with each of us edifying them through our actions! I humbly request everyone’s consideration as we continue on our journey to “spur the audacity of hope to uncover the magic of new beginnings.”
Be safe and stay healthy!
Sincerely,
Dr. Vilicia Cade
Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent
Capital School District