T&L Advisor Guest post — Henry Thiele, Superintendent Community High School District 99 Downers Grove, IL: Yesterday, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as the new U.S. Education Secretary. Only time will tell us what that appointment leads to in public schools, however we have learned a great deal through the process. We have seen that there is great interest in how our schools function and there is plenty of work to do in helping the public understand what it is that schools do today. The narrative that schools in the U.S. are failing our kids is an easy one to tell, as one failing kid is all the evidence required. To succeed, and to be seen as successful, we must show that we are helping each child to become a better version of herself. We must tell the stories of how we helped move every child forward and grow into a world of ever changing and higher levels of proficiency. Until we get better at telling our stories, we will continue to lose support for the excellent work we do. Sharing your success is not bragging; it is demonstrating to the world how much we care about the difference we make in the lives of children.
