March 17, 2022
Dear Kadoka Area,
In a past issue, I wrote about the importance of reading and language in developing a school curriculum. What has been spoken about also previously, but not directly, is the importance of consistency and discipline in the practice of reading. This weekend, I was fortunate enough to visit my relative, a teacher, in the state of Wisconsin. The emphasis on reading and practice was evident when I walked into the school. The school focused our attention on a banner that stated, “Reading happens every day.”
The ironic part of that statement is that reading does happen every day, but school does not. What do we do as a community, state, and nation to help children learn when we aren’t in school? The answer to the question can start and end with school and community libraries, librarians, and their endless pursuit of learning and helping all community members become stronger learners, better readers, and more informed citizens.
Libraries across America, and right here in Kadoka, take it upon themselves to support learning, grow reading, and initiate societal change for the better.
This year, we have two members of our staff who are entering retirement who have had a profound im- pact on the area of reading and learning in Mrs. Karen Byrd and Mrs. Arlene Hicks. Both have had a heavy influence on our school and community libraries. The legacy of these teachers will far outlive their tenure here at Kadoka Area be- because of their passion and commitment to students and language fluency. You must develop expression and content and formally understand how to express your ideas on the content.
Without the over 60 years of combined experience between these two individuals, our school would not be what it is. In fact, without strongly committed people in our libraries, we can’t start developing STEAM because content and extensions within the growth of the con- tent aren’t able to start. Libraries have changed, and how we take in information is rapidly becoming different, but the sources that students need and the skills they need to decipher them haven’t.
Thank you, Mrs. Byrd, and thank you, Mrs. Hicks, you are loved at KAS, and I sincerely appreciate the effort you have put forward to make Kadoka Area a special place.
March 24, 2022
Hello Kadoka Area,
This Column is one of the last of March. In March, I spent a great deal of my free time working a second job as a DoorDash Driver in my past life. After teaching or doing internships for a full day, I delivered food to hungry families to keep my own family fed after paying all the bills. I realized the more I worked, the more I wasn’t unique. A job like food delivery was standard for many in education or those just retiring from teaching and starting a new career.
Spring is hiring season in our industry, and open positions are never more present than now through the end of May in K-12 education. Schools crowd into job fairs at all of our major universities to attract an applicant to apply that will fit and fill the district’s needs and help encourage growth in student outcomes. A standard of almost every hiring process is the submission of a resume. However, many resume summaries are incomplete; they feature work experience in the field teachers are applying to, but much more should be noted.
When working as a DoorDash driver, there was a sign in every KFC restaurant that stated all the jobs Colonel Sanders had before he started selling his chicken and found his true calling in life. Some of the occupations included: farmer, railway laborer, steam engine stoker, insurance salesmen, filling station operator, hotel manager, ferry boat operator, soldier, and law student.
If you took Col. Sanders resume at face value and only looked for relevant experience, would he get a restaurant manager job? As a reader, whether you would or wouldn’t hire a journeyman laborer like the ‘King of Chicken’ doesn’t matter for this comparison. However, many would like to carry information before making the decision, and showing all work experience on a resume helps all involved in hiring achieve that.
As educators, work experience always has a crossover, and every applicant should take the time to note all work experience on their resume, besides what applies to the field. Especially with a renewed emphasis on Career and Technical Skills in high school graduates, diverse work experiences amongst staff can be valued to the highest degree. Colonel Sanders may not have had the best resume when it came to starting a restaurant, but at his death in 1980, his chain had over 6,000 in the United States. Should a restaurant have hired him if he applied? Many would, and probably, some would have passed on the opportunity and regretted the day.
At Kadoka Area, we talk about educating the whole student because we value the skills of the occupations in our economy. In the model of Colonel Sanders, we look to start the journey to success for every student that walks through our doors. Even if our student decides to become a DoorDash Driver along the way, there is value to the hustle, grit, mathematics, navigation skills, and overall service attitude that come with transporting food from diner to door. It should be noted if you are an educator who has it this hiring season.