Welcome Donna Hargens and K-12 JCPS Counselors September 19, 2012, 8:00 a.m. Brown & Williamson Club

Transcription

1 Welcome Donna Hargens and K-12 JCPS Counselors September 19, 2012, 8:00 a.m. Brown & Williamson Club 1. Good morning and welcome to the University of Louisville. It is a great honor for us at the University of Louisville to host you. 2. I am personally excited to have you on campus and to have a couple of minutes to welcome you. As you are aware, I am a proud graduate of the Jefferson Country Public Schools; my wife is a proud graduate of the Jefferson Country Public Schools; my father was a graduate of the Jefferson Country Public Schools, class of Mom and Dad both spent their entire careers with the Jefferson Country Public Schools, beginning their 1

2 careers as classroom teachers. I believe in the Jefferson County Public Schools. As I have said before and is well known, I have certain biases one is the respect and admiration that I have for you counselors. My mother was a counselor and I know from her work, and my own personal experiences, the importance of what you do the value of what you do. Ms. Marion Moore, for whom Moore Traditional High School was named, was for many years our only counselor at Fern Creek High School. Before I graduated we had a second counselor a men s counselor, George Yankee. I still remember today the impact that Ms. Moore and Mr. Yankee had on my life. So, thank you for what you do 2

3 every day. 3. You, the Jefferson Country Public Schools we, the University of Louisville, are in a fight together. It s a fight about the future of our community and our state. We understand that education is the key: Our economic future: Health care issues that are so important in our community and state Social issues that present challenges to us in both our community and state. As Woodford Porter, chair of the Old Louisville Board of Education would say Education is the great equalizer. As I have said on many, many occasions, if we could, in Kentucky, stay 3

4 focused on four goals we would have a dramatic improvement in economic activity and the quality of life in our community and state. Those four goals are: Education, Education, Education, and Education early childhood, K- 12, postsecondary education, adult life-long learning. 4. So, welcome. We are proud to have you here. We are proud of what you do for the young people of our community every day. (PAUSE) 5. UofL great history 1798 founding

5 6. It is my privilege to introduce to you, your own boss. Last fall Donna Hargens and I traveled together as I visited some of our Jefferson Country schools, recruiting your students to come to the University of Louisville. 7. We began the morning at Manual, went to Butler and finished at Seneca. Donna was the one who had the idea of us riding together no staff, no drivers just the opportunity to talk about our schools, our community and working together in partnership. 8. I learned a lot about Donna and our similarities. Donna received her undergraduate degree from a great Jesuit institution one of my many teaching stops was at a Jesuit schools. 5

6 Second, Donna got her master s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill my last administrative and teaching position before moving back home to Louisville over a decade ago. (The Tar Heels worried us a little bit on Saturday but, fortunately, we were able to get the win. Third, Donna talked to me about her experiences in North Carolina, working with the Wake County school district. Donna talked about the issues they faced in Wake County challenges much like we face in the Jefferson Country Public Schools. What many people throughout the state do not realize is that the Jefferson Country Public Schools are truly unique in this state. Not just the largest school district but unique 6

7 in terms of demographic, English as a second language, etc. Donna talked about facing those challenges head on to help move education forward in our community. Fourth, at heart Donna and I are both just classroom teachers. 9. So it is a great honor for me to welcome Donna Hargens. 7