Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany Community,
As we move towards the end of January there are many reasons to be hopeful. The inauguration provided uplifting messages of an America that we sorely miss – messages of peace, unity, truth, and a commitment to confronting forces of hatred and injustice. While the hard work is clearly ahead of us, there is hope.
Along with a new administration comes a more science-based approach to a vaccination plan. We are not where we want to be in the number of vaccinations completed, but the process has started and provides hope for the time when enough people are vaccinated to allow for larger gatherings. And while our current COVID metrics are still way above the “widespread” tier and new variants are raising alarm, our overall trend looks promising giving hope that, by following County guidelines, we can move into less dangerous tiers.
Teachers, by nature, are full of hope. From the simple hope that a new lesson won’t bomb, to the universal hope of equality for all. We put our heart and hopes into our teaching every day – providing thoughtful engaging lessons, virtual field trips, publishing parties, one-on-one and small group support meetings and, yes, even semester finals. One of our biggest hopes is that we can one day return to school, safely. There is still a lot to do, but we are hopeful.
It may be all too obvious, but it bears highlighting, that the only way that these hopes become realities is by working together. From the national to the local level, from state to school, our hope is that we all can work together for what is best for our country, our community, and our children.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Stephen Naiff/Chris Knight
ATA Co-Presidents