Local Perspective: Showing appreciation for unsung heroes

January has been declared School Board Recognition Month by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and the Dover City School District is proud to join more than 700 other districts across the state to recognize its board members for their hard work and dedication.

School board members are elected by the community for their understanding of a district’s values and culture. They give freely of their time and energy to ensure our district is the best it can be and represents its greater community.

The past year has been one of the most challenging in history for school board members everywhere.

Sometimes, I think we can forget that school board members are one of us. They are our colleagues and neighbors. Their children and grandchildren go to school with our children and grandchildren, and they often have experience volunteering in our schools or working at the business down the street.

In short, they deserve our respect and appreciation.

Being a good board member requires vision and the ability to foster relationships with a broad range of stakeholders. Alongside parents, school staff and our local community, they establish the policies and framework for our district.

More goes into their decisions about what students learn, who teaches them, and what kind of facilities house their academic and extracurricular experiences than any of us realize.

I hope you’ll join me this month — and throughout the year — in saying thank you to our board members, which include Michael Studer (2 years of service); Kyle Stemple (2 years of service); and John Maxwell (10 years of service).

Together, we also thank and welcome new members Robert Everett and Brian Hanner.

I’m honored to work with such a wonderful group of Dover citizens who commit themselves to make student-centered decisions each and every day to keep Dover Schools moving forward.

Karie McCrate is the Superintendent at Dover City Schools.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Showing appreciation for unsung heroes