The Dust Settles. . .

The long haul to hire a new treasurer is almost over. The past three months have been filled with special Board meetings for planning the search and interviewing. Our regular February Board of Ed meeting is this evening, where formal action is slated to employ a new treasurer, effective March 1. To say it's been easy would be a lie.

Complicating life in the superintendent's office has been the search for a new secretary to the supt. "When it rains, it pours" proved true once again. Miriam Owens joined the district office staff as my secretary/administrative assistant in early January, after completing the interview process in December. Welcome, Miriam!

While it may seem that we've been spinning our wheels in the superintendent's office by working on these two important employment decisions, I've also kept up to date on several legislative items and related meetings. Ohio's new state budget proposal was released by Governor Kasich early this week, so "the rain continues to pour" with pertinent, sometimes urgent, work to do as we try to shape Ohio's legislation with valuable input from the education field. I'll be meeting with Senate President Keith Faber and his staff, along with Ohio Dept of Ed representatives, in the coming weeks to discuss career technical issues with the Resident Educator program (RESA) and Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES). Our staff will provide authentic feedback from the field, which we will use to impact legislation for the better--at least that's our goal. Apollo Career Center, in Lima, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center in Bellefontaine, and Vantage CC here in Van Wert, appreciate the invitation to sit down with our state leaders to make improvements.

If it seems like "wheel spinning" these past months, I need only look back to my personal goal which I set in January, 2013, to see more visible progress. Thirteen months ago I committed to healthier, clean eating diet with almost daily exercise, and lost 25 lbs. in five months. I achieved my goal of reducing my cholesterol level without taking statins, Now one year later, I've maintained my weight and learned that I CAN eat cookies again--I just need to exercise and eat clean most of the week.

My new goal is running long distances--I'm up to five miles, and am hoping to make it to 10 or 13 miles later this spring. Time will tell--apparently the dust is NOT settling in my life after all.