Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills City Schools.
Superintendent Todd Freeman greets faculty at new teacher orientation for Vestavia Hills City Schools on July 21.
On the first day of school, while most parents are thinking about schedules, backpacks and whether everyone remembered where they're supposed to be, the fifth-grade son of Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman was already looking ahead.
Freeman and his wife, Rachel, were taking their son to meet his teacher when the student offered this bit of perspective:
“Boy, I bet our end-of-the-year party is gonna be great. That's something to look forward to.”
Freeman laughed as he told the story at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Aug. 11, the day before elementary students returned to school.
It was a funny way to begin a conversation about the serious business of educating children. But it also seemed fitting.
Because if there was one word that kept surfacing in Freeman's remarks about the year ahead, it was challenge.
Challenge the students. Challenge the educators. Challenge the school system. And challenge the community to imagine what is possible when everyone rises to meet it.
Freeman framed his vision for Vestavia Hills City Schools around four C's: care, competencies, character and community.
They sound simple enough. Putting them into practice is anything but.
It begins with care.
More than 500 teachers, along with counselors, administrators, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, security personnel and countless others, come to work each day with the same responsibility: taking care of Vestavia's children.
Freeman called the district's people its most important investment. But caring also means caring enough to expect more.
That leads naturally to the second C: competencies.
Vestavia students are being challenged to stretch beyond what they already know. Opportunities for students to participate in advanced courses have expanded dramatically in the middle grades. Students at Vestavia Hills High School can now choose from more than 30 Advanced Placement courses and a growing number of dual-enrollment options.
The district is also expanding opportunities in robotics, cybersecurity, computer science, health science, broadcasting and STEAM.
The message is clear: If students are ready for more, give them more.
Freeman offered a particularly personal example. His oldest son did not qualify for the gifted program, but this year he is taking advanced science and advanced math.
The point isn't simply to put more classes on a transcript. It is to recognize potential and challenge students to discover what they can do.
Freeman used the Blue Angels to make the point. Their aircraft can fly just 36 inches apart in formation. After two years of training, the goal is to cut that distance in half.
There is always room to grow.
That philosophy applies to students, but it applies to adults, too.
The third C — character — is where the classroom extends farthest into the community.
Vestavia students volunteer at the Miracle League, spend time with seniors, help neighbors and find ways to serve people who need a hand.
Through the high school's RISE program, students raised more than $217,000 this year for pediatric cancer efforts.
Those are impressive numbers, but Freeman's point wasn't really about the dollars.
It was about what happens when young people learn to notice someone else's struggle and decide to do something about it.
That is a challenge worth accepting.
And then there is community.
Freeman challenged parents and residents to come inside the schools and see what is happening for themselves.
“Don't just read about education,” he said. “Don't rely on a single story or snapshot.”
Walk into a classroom.
Watch a teacher work.
See students wrestling with a difficult problem, collaborating on a project or discovering something they didn't know they could do.
The same invitation extends beyond the schoolhouse.
Freeman pointed to the partnerships already helping Vestavia schools thrive — like the Chamber, the schools' Foundation, PTO, local businesses and the city of Vestavia Hills.
The city and school system are separate entities, he noted, but they share a common goal: creating a community where families want to live, work and raise their children.
That partnership will become increasingly important as the district begins looking at the future of Vestavia Hills High School.
The 56-year-old campus presents challenges, particularly as academic, career-tech, arts and other programs continue to evolve. Freeman isn't pretending there are easy answers. Instead, he is asking the community to help imagine what comes next.
He invited Chamber members to take part in an upcoming visioning process focused on the high school and encouraged local businesses, parents and community leaders to bring their ideas, talents and resources to the table.
It is an invitation that fits neatly with Freeman's four C's. A school system can care deeply for its students, challenge them academically, help shape their character and create a sense of community — but none of that happens in isolation.
The challenges ahead are real. So is the opportunity.
And if the first day of school is any indication, Vestavia's students are ready to see what they can do.
They may even be thinking about that end-of-the-year party already.
