I’m grateful for each and every opportunity to write to the broader Lewis-Palmer School District 38 community, including the entire Tri Lakes area via my monthly Superintendent spotlights.
Many times I write about educational topics or challenges facing our district and region. I think it’s beneficial, however, that we take a moment to reflect on our lofty mission. We’re elevating the futures of every student, every day. And it takes a team of hundreds of incredible educators to do so.
So I’d like to help our community get better acquainted with the teachers who are helping shape our students into the individuals who will one day lead our nation.
So I’d like to help our community get better acquainted with the teachers who are helping shape our students into the individuals who will one day lead our nation.
Meet Kristen Iatrow, a special education teacher who has taught for D38 for 11 years. She is based out of our Prairie Winds Elementary School, and she shared a bit of her story with me to bring to you.
“I love to see my students practice something really hard for a long time, and I get to see their faces when they finally get it. That really keeps me going,” Kristen said about her work.
Ever since her time as a high school student, she’s seized opportunities to work with students who have special needs, and her work continues to drive her forward to this day.
“I have a group of students that I’ve been working with for many years, but this year they have gotten so excited about a group called the lunch bunch reading group. You wouldn’t expect a group of struggling readers to want to read during their lunch, but they’re enjoying it and making a lot of progress.”
Kristen said her students get excited about reading every single day. It’s unique collaborative opportunities like this that help make D38 special, and in general makes teaching rewarding. Kristen also said she faces challenges throughout the year, including the size of hers and her staff’s caseload.
“When we’re working with students with special needs, we want to make sure we specialize what we do for them. And that requires a lot of staff to do so at a high level, as well as resources to help them make progress in the general education curriculum,” Kristen explained.
Kristen reflected on D38’s position as a district of choice, and said despite challenges, she loves her team and what she does.
“I think our D38 educators are very, very high quality educators. I work with some of the most competent staff around, and we need to be able to retain these teachers in order to continue to strive for excellence in our district,” Kristen concluded.
I couldn’t agree more with Kristen. Her dedication, as well as the dedication of each and every one of our 750 staff members is appreciated, and is truly making a difference in our community.
I look forward to continuing to spotlight various members of the D38 team moving forward.
KC Somers, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Lewis-Palmer School District 38