Every year we work to make our buildings and classrooms ready for the new year, and we ensure that our staff have the skills to educate our students. Each student enters their school building with their own unique perspective and with the understanding that they are there to learn.

Learning is a personal endeavor that every human is naturally drawn to. Asking why is a powerful act, one that we are all driven to ask and understand.

My 6-year-old grandson Oliver will be starting first grade this year. My wife and I are fortunate to share time together with him and his 9-year-old sister Grace. This is the page he gave to me as my wife and I were playing restaurant with him and his sister:

On the page was Oliver’s handwritten name of an imaginary restaurant spelled phonically. He is learning without fear. He is not concerned about making a mistake, and he's able to communicate as he understands things around him now. He is on his own path to question and brave enough to try to answer. Can we say the same thing about ourselves?

This is what we ask of our students: to have the willingness to be open to learning. To be able to ask why and find their answer. Are you willing to listen with the intent to learn? Are you ready to share and test your thoughts and ideas? Will you see and hear ideas with the same desire of a 6-year-old who wants to be able to understand and share that understanding with others?

As a school board member, you have the opportunity to learn so much, to work with other members of your board and superintendent, to investigate, to share your thoughts so that learning is not only in the classroom but also part of your school’s culture. To ask why.

My WHYS for this issue of ASBJ:

The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) has published the 2021-22 state-by-state graduation rates showing comparisons for both Black and Hispanic students to White students. Although over the last 10 years we’ve seen a reduction in the disparity, we still have states with as high as a 23% greater dropout rate for Black students and a 27% higher dropout rate for Hispanic students. WHY are there such dramatic variations in graduation rates related to race and WHY have some states shown significant improvements?

Please see the NCES website for a breakdown of graduation rates.

I look forward to seeing you at the CUBE Annual Conference this October in Las Vegas. Remember to register for NSBA’s Advocacy and Equity Institute meeting Feb. 2 to Feb. 4 in Washington, D.C. The door is open for all school boards and board members to participate in NSBA’s services and programs. We believe in public education, and we will not hesitate to ask WHY.