With Your Help,

To the District 7 Community,

As the 2017-2018 School Year ends, I wanted to send an open letter of gratitude to all those throughout our district. From our students who have continually impressed us through their academic skills and extracurricular talents and staff members who wake up early and go home late preparing lesson plans, maintaining our facilities, and leading our school buildings to the community leaders whose advocacy and passion is unmatched in this county, I am always filled with immense pride when I say that I represent District 7 on the Board of Education for Prince George's County.

As many of you all know, this past year was a difficult one - to put it mildly. We, as a school system, dealt with the ever-changing political climate of the Primary Election, improper media coverage, community tragedies, and even the exit transition of our Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Kevin Maxwell. In spite of all this and more, though the media and critics may not admit it, our school system is still rising.

Moreover, with your help, we, as a District 7 community, were able to accomplish more of the initiatives we set out for in 2016.

With your help, we lead the State of Maryland in academic program offerings in our schools.

With your help, we were able to expand Pre-Kindergarten for our youngest students.

With your help, the salaries of our educators, support staff, and administrators rose for another continuous year.

With your help, the school system has launched an Alumni Engagement program and Advisory Council.

With your help, the Board of Education enacted a Community Schools policy that will provide wraparound services for our students.

With your help, we have refined our Career and Technical Education programs and now offer Apprenticeships and a Teacher Academy so that our graduates have a direct pipeline to employment.

With your help, our school system is implementing Restorative Justice practices instead of perpetuation the zero-tolerance/school to prison pipeline methods of the past.

With your help, our neediest schools are getting the supports, resources, and staffing, as identified in the 2017-2018 Education Equity Task Force Report.

With your help, we have just launched the District 7 Education Roundtable to better engage our students, families, schools, and communities.

As we move into a new school year, I want you all to know that, with your help, we are accomplishing so much! I know I am just one of many Board members representing one of many districts, but the goals we set out for our district are not only being accomplished, but implemented with fidelity.

Next year, I will have the honor of continuing to serve on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, as well as serve as the Chairman of the Washington Area Boards of Education.

While I know this past year was not our best and brightest moment as a system, let us take the next few months to reset, refresh, and regroup as we prepare for a new CEO, County Executive, and continue our fight for A Better Tomorrow, Today!

Wishing you all a safe and fun summer,

-kaw

K. Alexander Wallace

Board Member, District 7