May 2022 President's Message from Dr. Danielle Kovach

It is so hard to believe the 2021-2022 school year is coming to a close. The last few weeks of school always feel like the end of running a marathon. The finish line is in sight, you are exhausted and worn down, but you know that stopping now is not an option, so you keep powering through until you reach the end.

While the end of the school year is an exciting time, there is also an unspoken sadness that often gets swept under the carpet and not discussed. For 180 days (give or take a few days depending on where you live), we build relationships with students throughout the school year. We heal wounds, listen with intent, give a shoulder to cry on, celebrate successes, and work through failures. We serve in many roles for our students, whether as a parent, chef, nurse, guardian, coach, mentor, counselor, peacekeeper, or cheerleader; the list is never-ending. We become a family. And after 180 days, we say goodbye to the students who had our heart and soul throughout the school year. While we may not talk about how difficult the end of the school year can be, separation is hard, and the struggle is real. We send our students on, hoping we gave them the roots they need to spread their wings and fly. For 180 days, our students got the best of us. Regardless of your role in education, through it all, you gave your all.

This past week, two teachers from Uvalde, Texas, not only gave their all, they gave all of themselves. Special education teacher Eva Mireles and her co-teacher, Irma Garcia, tragically lost their lives doing what they loved, teaching. These dedicated teachers and 19 beautiful students were victims of an inexcusable tragedy. As educators, this is the unspeakable reality that we face every day. But every day, we come to school; for our students, to give them everything we possibly can. While we do not know what the future holds, we know that we have the power to make the future better; for our students, our teachers, and our world.  

- Dr. Danielle Kovach, 2022 CEC President