Acting Superintendent of Schools Michael Martirano is making a big splash going from school to school during the inservice days leading up to opening day. He has been greeted by high school bands, cheerleaders, glow-in-the-dark percussion ensembles, and even made an entrance through the River Hill High School inflatable football tunnel in billowing clouds of smoke.
What is this all about?
Local residents who have endured carefully crafted media releases over the last few years can be forgiven for having a jaded mindset when looking at these celebratory images. Is it just more of the same but with a different slant? Are we in danger of getting suckered once more because we're just so relieved to be starting something new?
I haven't been present at any of these events but the information I am taking away gives some decent clues as to what the underlying message is. The hero being heralded at each of these events is not the Superintendent. It's the teachers and school staff. And the students they serve.
The message is loud and clear that Dr. Martirano knows that our teachers care about students and want to do their best possible job teaching and lifting them up. The stories he shares are about building relationships and putting equity in education at the forefront. He's opening the door to amplifying teacher voice and challenging those teachers to amplify student voice.
If the former administration was all about controlling the message, this one seems to be reaching out to students and teachers and saying: you are the message. The school system celebrates you and supports you.
The Superintendent is coming into a system where teachers have been demoralized, misrepresented, micromanaged, and ignored. It looks like he is seizing his "15 minutes of fame" to establish a relationship of compassion and trust. In my opinion, it is well worth the investment of time and effort to make that happen.
It may look a little wacky to those of us on the outside. But if it breathes some joy into places that have felt very little in recent years, it will do a world of good.
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