A Letter to Gloucester Teachers and Staff
I come from a low-income family, literally dirt poor. My grandparents completed third-grade, and my parents completed seventh-grade. My two brothers and I are the first in our family to graduate from middle school, high school, and college. To say that education was life-changing for us is an understatement.
I started as your superintendent two weeks ago. There hasn't been a day since when I have not thought about the impact of teachers and staff on my education and my life. Three years after arriving in America, my parents moved us to a one-stoplight small rural town in upstate New York's Catskills mountains. The teachers and staff at this small rural public school accepted and supported this poor kid, with limited English language skills, in every way imaginable. There were many times when Ms. Wells, the bus driver, checked on me to ensure I was okay when I didn't show up at the bus stop. Marty, the head custodian, always provided a warm greeting and word of encouragement as he pushed the broom up and down the hall. We knew Marty, and he knew us.
I learned the importance of integrity and ethics from Mr. Wolf, my homeroom teacher. You see, Mr. Wolf was a former U.S. Marine who stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima during World War II before he continued to serve his community as an English teacher. He was tough, fair, and kept his promises. We never dared misbehave in his class. He accepted us as individuals, but his standards always remained high. I wanted to be like Mr. Wolf. He was why I joined the military, became a Green Beret, and later became a teacher. Ms. Luben was my trigonometry teacher. Though I loved math, she accepted me into her class when my previous teacher didn't recommend me. I never went hungry when Ms. Krause, the cafeteria manager, was around; she ensured I had something to eat even when I needed the money.
There were many others. I learned perseverance and how to deal with adversity from Mr. Kelly, the special education teacher, who also coached basketball. In my senior year, we lost every game, but the lessons I learned have served me well in life. Though many of my teachers and staff passed, their impact continues to live in me and the thousands of other students they positively affected.
As I start my 24th year in education, I recognize that teaching is challenging but rewarding work. It has been said a good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others. Serving as a role model and inspiring impressionable minds, even when the work of educators is diminished, is challenging and emotional work. Being the light to help students' minds shine brighter is the most rewarding work of any profession. Over the past two weeks, I met dozens of warm, kind, caring, and competent Gloucester County Public Schools teachers and staff. I am excited to meet many more over the coming weeks and months.
Education is teamwork. As your superintendent, I look forward to learning about your work, listening to your concerns, supporting you, and challenging each other to better serve the needs of our 5,041 students and their parents. Their aspirations and dreams are the reason we get up every morning. That we are willing to reflect on our practice to reach every single student, even when the work seems thankless.
Kids pay more attention to what we do than what we say. To that end, I look forward to learning how we teach our students that an education is earned. That we take responsibility to teach differently, with more care and compassion. That we go beyond minimum expectations. That we can learn as much from children and their families as they learn from us. That achievement is based on commitment, grit, and hard work. That all learning is based on positive relationships. That parents are our partners, and sometimes despite our differences, we can unite behind the success of all children. Kindness is essential, now more than ever before. That character counts, even when it seems like doing the right thing is not rewarded.
I hope you enjoy your weekend with families and friends, and I look forward to welcoming you back to an outstanding and rewarding school year.
Sincerely,
Anthony Vladu, Ed.D.
Gloucester County Public Schools Superintendent
Narrowsburg Central Rural School