By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
He has some real ideas for public education, and Steven Gastright shared them with the Covington Rotary Club recently.
“The purpose of public education,” said Gastright, a third-year member of the Covington School Board, “Is the core of our nation. It encompasses national security, democracy as well as equal opportunity.”
Covington school board member Steven Gastright speaks to Rotary Club about education. (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)
It’s all about cultivating the whole child, he told the assembled group.
“It’s academics, creativity, social/civic awareness, emotional well-being and health planning,” he outlined in his Five-Point Plan. “Interaction is about dealing with conflict, as well as dealing with stress of life.”
Speaking of stress, Gastright did mention problems surrounding the past pandemic.
“Yes,” he said. “We wanted our schools to remain open. But what do you do when 22 teachers call in sick? We sent the kids home; we had to close.”
The comparison between workplace and schools – from the 20th Century to the 21st Century – was perfectly laid-out by Gastright.
Some of the comparisons:
“We want to have the perfect portrait of a graduate from Holmes High School,” Gastright said. “What his future may be – college, a career or the military. That’s what we strive for.”
As for Covington Public Schools, Gastright insists the staffing is quite professional. “What we need is more teachers living in Covington. That would certainly prevent losing top-notch educators.”
He says an open-house is the perfect opportunity for parents to see teachers at work and will remove all questions a family may have about the school system.
Gastright put a bow on his presentation when he tossed out the question, “So what does a school really do?”
He was quick to answer. “The school is here to provide anything for the child that the community is not doing for a student. That would include housing, meals, shelter and clothing.”
In fact, he added, many of the students at Covington Public Schools receive not only free breakfast – but three full meals daily.
“That’s what a school does,” he said.
And he made sure to conclude, “We all succeed together.”
