Guest opinion: Setting strategic priorities at Kalispell Public Schools

As we begin another school year, our focus is not on starting over, but on building upon the progress we have made together. Our schools continue to learn, evolve and get better at creating meaningful opportunities for students. Each year gives us the opportunity to strengthen what is working, learn from what is not and become more intentional about how we prepare students for their future. Serving as superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools is truly the honor of a lifetime. Having grown up in the Flathead Valley, I understand what our schools mean to this community because they had a tremendous impact on my own life. Today, it is both humbling and inspiring to serve alongside educators, support staff, families, trustees and community members who care so deeply about our students and the future of this valley. I believe there is no greater responsibility than being entrusted with someone else's child. Every student who walks through our doors arrives with unique strengths, interests, challenges, and dreams. Our responsibility is not simply to educate them. It is to help them grow their skills, talents and abilities so they can fulfill their purpose in life. Our long-term strategic priorities remain unchanged. We will continue advancing student ownership of learning, maintaining safe schools, exercising fiscal responsibility, strengthening community partnerships and improving our learning environments. This year, two commitments will receive particular attention. The first is helping every student become an owner of their learning. Student ownership is about more than giving students choices. Students learn responsibility by being part of meaningful decisions and being accountable for following through. They develop confidence when they know their achievement is connected to clear, high expectations and evidence of what they know and can do, rather than simply an accumulation of points. We are expanding opportunities for students to practice this ownership through their learning, district leadership, professional learning, vision setting and decision making. Our goal is to prepare young people who understand that their ideas matter and that they have both the ability and responsibility to positively shape their own lives, schools and community. Our second commitment is creating greater clarity around learning. Students cannot take ownership of their learning if they do not understand what they are expected to learn, where they currently are, and what they need to do next. Ownership begins with clarity. We continue building a learning system where students clearly understand what they are expected to know and be able to do, where they are in their learning and what they need to do next. Students should have multiple opportunities to practice, receive meaningful feedback and demonstrate their knowledge. This work is ultimately about helping students better understand themselves as learners, recognize their own growth and develop the confidence to take greater responsibility for their learning. That same philosophy extends beyond our classrooms. Learning should prepare students for life, not simply the next test. Beginning in our elementary schools and continuing through graduation, we are creating opportunities for students to explore their interests, learn about careers, connect with community partners and begin imagining what their future might look like. Our K-12 Career Exploration Pathway and Work Based Learning webpage outlines how these experiences grow with students over time, leading to expanded opportunities in high school for internships, job shadows, work based learning, career and technical education and other experiences connected to life after graduation. Our long-term vision is that every student graduates from Kalispell Public Schools having had the opportunity to participate in a meaningful internship or workplace learning experience. Our responsibility to this community also includes careful stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. We will continue maximizing every available dollar while working with legislators and educational partners to advocate for fair school funding formulas for students and more equitable tax systems for the people of the Flathead Valley. As I look toward the year ahead, I remain incredibly optimistic. I see educators who continue to grow, students who are increasingly taking ownership of their learning and families and community members who believe deeply in our schools. Most importantly, I see a community that understands the future of the Flathead Valley is sitting in our classrooms today. Thank you for the trust you place in Kalispell Public Schools. It is a responsibility I never take lightly and a privilege I am grateful for every single day. Matt Jensen is superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools.