Veteran educators know if their actions don’t match their words, students will catch on quickly and point out the discrepancy. You have to be consistent in what you say and do and lead by example.
The same goes for a school district or any organization, for that matter. Your actions had better reinforce what you’re saying or the public will let you know.
Sustainability is a major buzzword these days in our schools. Every school has a Green Team, and students and staff members continue to find new ways to be more environmentally conscious and lessen our impact on the planet.
And the good work of our students and staff members has garnered some national attention. Kevin Concannon, the under secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, visited our schools in April to hear more about our Farm to School program.
In June our sustainability coordinator, Dana Smith, went to Washington to accept the 2013 Green Schools Award from Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The Fayetteville School District was one of only 14 school districts in the nation to be recognized for sustainability efforts.
At the district level, sustainability is also a part of our decision making process, from the school board to every department.
For example, the board decided all new construction and renovation projects would be done with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in mind. To date, the new Butterfield Trail and Happy Hollow elementary schools are both LEED certified schools, and the transformed Fayetteville High School is on pace to be a LEED Silver certified school.
Sustainability also helps us be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. For example, the motion sensing light switches that are being installed throughout Fayetteville High School will reduce the amount of electricity needed by automatically turning off the lights when a room is not use. Also, the large number of windows in the new buildings allow lots of natural light, thereby reducing the number of light fixtures needed. This lowers the upfront cost for light fixtures, and it also reduces the carbon footprint for the school.
Our Farm to School program supports local farmers and producers, reduces food miles traveled from farm to plate, and provides students fresh, healthy meals. The program started in 2005 at Washington, Leverett and Asbell elementary schools with limited local purchasing. By the 2012-13 school year the program expanded and every elementary school had one fully locally produced lunch accompanied by an educational program about the benefits of local foods.
Our partners in the Farm to School program include the University of Arkansas, Apple Seeds, Inc., FoodCorps, Feed Fayetteville, Fayetteville Farmers’ Market and the Donald W. Reynolds Boys & Girls Club. We’re grateful for each of these good partners, and we will continue to work together to identify opportunities for local purchasing and educational programming for students.
Sustainability provides many “teachable” moments in our schools, both for students and staff as we all learn how we can be better stewards of our world. Instilling that sense of responsibility and community in young minds is some of our most important teaching.
VICKI THOMAS IS SUPERINTENDENT OF FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.