Superintendent Spotlight: With appreciation, farewell

It has been my pleasure to serve as the Superintendent of District 742 for the last nine years. The greater St. Cloud community has been supportive of me, and more importantly, our students, staff and families during this time. Fulfilling our mission to engage, inspire, educate, prepare and empower each of our students is only possible through the partnership and support of an entire community. You’ve been there for us each step of the way. As my tenure closes, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.

Engage

To the St. Cloud Rotary, Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce, Centracare, and the Greater St. Cloud Safety Foundation, thank you for the many ways you provide access and opportunities for our youth. You provide our students and families a wide range of services, from summer programming to career internships to preschool access. I am exceedingly grateful for your partnership.

Inspire

I am inspired daily by the students, families and staff we serve. Over the last few years, we’ve sometimes exchanged roles, families and students were teachers during distance learning and our teachers became students as they learned new ways of instructing in a matter of weeks. Our entire staff assumed new responsibilities and extended themselves to meet the needs of our students and families. The versatility and adaptability of this school community inspires me.

Educate

Thank you to our partners, Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota, for providing school-age care that extends classroom learning and provides our students with the opportunity to explore career and college options. Thank you to our higher education partners, St. Cloud Community and Technical College, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, and St. Cloud State University. Over the years, we’ve developed aligned, robust educational programs that begin in our high schools, extend through these institutions of learning, and end with a well-educated, connected workforce serving the greater St. Cloud Community.

Prepare

To our early childhood partners, including caregivers in the home, day care providers, and early educators, thank you. You provide a foundation of stability that prepares our students to be school ready. The United Way Partner For Student Success has been a faithful friend of our school district, as has the Local Education and Activities Foundation (LEAF). Both organizations have been instrumental in preparing our students for success, whether through pre-school initiatives, direct classroom support, or activities and academic funding. Thank you also to the YES Network for feeding our students in the evenings after activities and during the summer months. Each of the dedicated individuals who belong to or support these organizations are credited with preparing our students to be successful in our schools and in our community.

Empower

To the past and present board of education members, thank you for empowering me to serve this school community with integrity and passion. Thank you also to past superintendents for sharing your wisdom and experience with me. I am also grateful for the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee who provided us with guidance and a diversity of perspectives. All of the individuals who served in these roles are credited with the successes of the last nine years, including a successful referendum to build a new Tech High School.

Our mission statement compels us to engage, inspire, educate, prepare, and empower our students in partnership with our surrounding community. I want to extend my deep appreciation for our partners in public safety. The dedicated women and men serving in our police and fire departments have provided our school district with unmatched support. Additionally, I want to thank the mayors of the communities served by St. Cloud Area Schools. You are an engaged group of leaders who provide access to community services through thoughtful and inclusive planning, infrastructure, and transportation. I am also appreciative of the advocacy and support provided by our city councils and state legislators. We are fortunate to have servant leaders, focused on the well-being of our youth, participating in a political process.

To each of you reading this final message, thank you. Thank you for welcoming not only me, but also my family, into this community. As a father, I am grateful for each of the teachers, coaches, staff, and community members who supported me during my tenure as superintendent and my own children in their educational journeys. We are blessed to live in this community, one who not only recognizes the importance of caring for its young people but also puts their values into action.

— This is the opinion of former St. Cloud schools Superintendent Willie Jett. Superintendent Spotlight is published in the St. Cloud Times monthly and features the superintendents of the ROCORI, St. Cloud, Sartell-St. Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice districts.