Dragon Nation unites and works together to find solutions for continued student safety
CISD News with Dr. David Faltys, CISD Superintendent
Dragons Unite In Face Of Public Education Challenges and Change
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of abrman is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at timesbrof challenge and controversy.”
I prefer comfort. I think most people do. But more and more,brI find myself standing on the brink of significant challenge and change. Admittedly,brit creates internal strife. Given the choice, I personally prefer comfort. But likebrDr. King, I know change is inevitable, and that in moments of true challenge,brwe are forced to reach deep inside ourselves to find the fortitude to press on andbrthe will to excel.
In today's public-education environment, I spend a good portionbrof my day with a team of dedicated individuals, problem-solving, collaboratingbrand finding solutions to what can seem like insurmountable problems. Budgetbrdeficits, school safety, high-stakes testing, bullying — all of these take mebrout of my personal comfort zone and make me stretch in new ways. But as I'vebrlearned rather quickly, life is much less about what happens to you and muchbrmore about how you respond to what happens to you. Thankfully, our perspectivesbrundergo change and challenge on a regular basis.
Our thoughts on security, for instance, changed dramaticallybrfollowing the violence at Sandy Hook Elementary. The horrific memory of thatbrmorning stands out as a stark reminder to each of us that life is fragile, and asbrmuch as we prepare and train and fortify, we cannot avoid the terriblebrrealities of a broken world. Just when we think things are safe, someone doesbrthe unthinkable.
And if that single tragedy wasn't enough to cause fear andbrapprehension in the heart of every parent, Southlake and Grapevine faced anotherbrchallenge when a fugitive, armed and dangerous, went into hiding nearby. Forbrfour long days, our schools operated in soft lockdown as local law enforcementbrteamed up with other agencies to track down an escaped Miami prisoner.
As uneasy as those few days were, our children remained asbrsafe as we could possibly make them in our schools. True to their calling, ourbrteachers, administrators and support staff made the safety of your childrenbrtheir top priority. Police officers patrolled regularly and provided us withbrcalm reassurance during uncertain times. We learned a lot in the days and hoursbrfollowing that crisis, and we did as we always do in the face of adversity, we madebrit through, together.
We remembered that it is really the people in our lives —brour family, our friends, our children — who matter most. Everything else palesbrin comparison to these relationships and our need to reassure, love and providebrstrength in times of trouble. Learning became secondary; testing became of evenbrlesser importance; safer schools became our mantra, and, remains to this day,brour constant goal.
It's been a tough year. Just last month in this column, Ibrapplauded our Dragon community for supporting children during times of griefbrand personal loss. After losing a significant number of students, parents andbrgraduates, we stood up against challenges to school safety and worked together tobrfind solutions, ensuring even safer schools.
I appreciate the support this community is providing us duringbrunprecedented times in public education. Your words of encouragement for me as superintendentbrhave meant more than you could ever know. And despite the challenges we face, Ibrbelieve strongly in the people who make up the Dragon Nation. I believe we arebrup to the challenge of doing what's best for students. And I believe we will dobrit best, together.
Dr. David Faltys serves as superintendent of Carroll Independent School District, the largest 5A Exemplary district in the state of Texas. He was named the 2010 Region XI Superintendent of the Year after being nominated for the award by his local school board.