Community Voices: Quality education draws many people to Gilbert

Posted: 2014-03-07

AZ Republic 3-7-14

By John Lewis, Tim Bricker, Jenn Daniels, 

 Gilbert mayor, CEO of Dignity Health, Gilbert Town Council member, 

Fri Mar 7, 2014 

In Gilbert, we are fortunate to have three A-rated public school districts serving our vibrant community, with nineteen charter and three private schools that offer unparalleled education for our youngest residents.

Our “secret sauce” is our myriad quality educational opportunities, which are among the primary reasons so many families choose to live in Gilbert, start businesses here and put down roots for future generations.

We are excited to meet the incoming superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools, Ms. Christina DeJesus-Kishimoto, who is in town this week getting to know district officials, community leaders and town representatives. Ms. Kishimoto will lead a district that laid the foundation for educational excellence in the community — GPS has been educating our youth for more than 100 years.

While there have been recent publicized differences of opinions in education approaches in our community, we understand that divergent viewpoints are part of our American heritage. In spite of differing thoughts, there is one constant that remains: We are invested in the business of a quality education that has earned Gilbert the gold standard across Arizona.

We take great pride in the accomplishments of our children, the hard-working teachers and staff and forward-thinking educational leaders.

From a town perspective, quality education is an essential component of the success of our economic-development efforts to attract, retain and grow businesses. From a business-community perspective, college- and career-ready graduates are essential in supporting our local workforce needs.

A well-educated population brings quality jobs, economic-development opportunities and a reputation that opens doors for Gilbert residents. In Gilbert, one thing is clear: We care about education. Our community believes it is the cornerstone of our quality of life.

Consider these national accolades:

We are the second-safest community in the United States.

We were identified as the 33rd best place to live in the country.

We were named the eighth most thriving city.

We were picked as the top place in the nation to live and learn.

We were simultaneously awarded the best place to have a baby and retire.

Plain and simple, the town of Gilbert has something to offer everyone — from birth to retirement — and everyone in between. Some might call this bragging. We call it community pride.

But we, like every community, have our own set of challenges: continued growth at record-setting rates, complicated school-funding formulas, keeping pace in an ever-changing, technological world and setting high, measurable standards for our students, teachers and educational leaders.

There are, and always will be, challenges in education. It can be difficult to see through our passion for children and our desire to give them the best chance at a successful future. As we look past the emotion, rhetoric and politics, we will find practical, viable solutions for our students, teachers and staff; solutions that will benefit this community now and well into our bright future.

John Lewis, Gilbert mayor

Jenn Daniels, Gilbert Town Council member

Tim Bricker, CEO of Dignity Health for Mercy Gilbert and Chandler Regional medical centers.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20140307community-voices-column-quality-education-draws-many-people-gilbert.html

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