Full Circle with Superintendent Dr. Jared A. Cotton

As he prepares for retirement, Superintendent Dr. Jared Cotton joins us for a special conversation reflecting on his time leading Chesapeake Public Schools and the journey that brought him back home to serve the community that helped shape him. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Cotton has guided the division through historic challenges and significant growth, always grounded in a simple but powerful mission: Inspire Hope. In this episode, he shares memories from his years in Chesapeake, reflects on the lessons learned while leading through the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses the initiatives that have helped expand opportunities for students and support employees across the division.

From strengthening career and technical education programs and advancing one-to-one technology access to launching innovative learning pathways and investing in staff, Dr. Cotton looks back on the accomplishments that have defined his leadership. He also shares some of the moments, people, and stories that have meant the most to him, along with his hopes for the future of Chesapeake Public Schools. Join us for a candid and heartfelt conversation as Dr. Cotton reflects on his legacy, celebrates the work of the Chesapeake community, and offers a final message before beginning his next chapter.

Connect with us at cpschools.com/amplified.  And be sure to subscribe or follow us wherever you get your podcast. 

The Stories Behind Our Story

Transcript

Welcome And Retirement Countdown

Jay Lewter 0:17

Hi everyone, welcome back to Amplified. I'm Jay Lewter here with Matt Graham and Matt, I am so excited about today's episode. We are so fortunate to have our superintendent right on the brink of retirement Dr. Jared Cotton to spend a few minutes with us and reflect on his life and legacy, which has to be public schools.

Matt Graham 0:37

It's nice to have that chance to sit down with him so that he can not just share with us but with the community about his time here.

Jay Lewter 0:44

Yeah, and I can't wait for our listeners to be a part.

Matt Graham 0:46

All right, so we're gonna go ahead and start the conversation.

Jay Lewter 0:48

Let's do it.

Matt Graham 0:52

Dr. Cotton, welcome to the podcast.

Dr. Jared Cotton 0:55

Yeah, happy to be here. I started here this year and I get to finish this year. So that's right. Is this the last one of the school year? This is it. This is the last one.

Matt Graham 1:04

Perfect. What an honor. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's it's your podcast, basically. So I mean it's our honor. Yeah. So but before we chat and reflect about your upcoming retirement and legacy here with Chesapeake Public Schools, has the moment really set in yet?

Dr. Jared Cotton 1:23

Well, it's gonna have to, right? Because the time is is growing short. So I have to tell you, right after winter break, it seems like it accelerated. So it got closer and closer and closer. And I've had a hard time thinking too much about it because there's so much to do each and every day. So it's hard to say it it's gonna be here, but it feels like it's it's fast approaching as we are. What are we almost the middle of June now? It's true. It's getting very close. So what I've been thinking a lot about is what am I gonna do that that very first day, you know, where I don't have any all the emails coming in and all the phone calls coming in. And so I've I don't have a plan yet, but I'm I'm working on it because I I know I need to be busy that day.

Jay Lewter 2:04

Yeah, that's true. That first day of school, when you're not in that seat, I'm sure is going to be a little melancholy, right?

Matt Graham 2:10

Maybe enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and play some pickleball or tennis.

Dr. Jared Cotton 2:14

Of course, of course. Well, that happened when I when I came to central office, you know, that first day of school felt very different because I was not in a school. But this will be even more different because I won't be anywhere. I won't have to go anywhere. But the best part is when my alarm goes off, I get to ignore it. So you guys are gonna be at work.

Jay Lewter 2:33

That's right. We will,

Inspire Hope And Coming Home

Jay Lewter 2:35

we sure will. Dr. Cotton, when you returned to Chesapeake schools in 2018, you told us about your two-word mission statement, Inspire Hope. What do you think gave you the most hope in 2018? What were you the most excited about in your return to Chesapeake?

Dr. Jared Cotton 2:48

Well, I was just excited about coming home. Sometimes you can't come home, you know, but I had I I was laughing. I was telling people I left and went to other places. I lost my way, and then I found my way back home. So it was it was just nice to come back home. This is my hometown. This is where I grew up. I know you all have heard that story many times. When I got here in fifth grade, I started at Crestwood Elementary at the time. I know it's well, it's back to elementary now, but it it was different grade levels there. But I started in fifth grade at Crestwood, went all the way up through Great Bridge High School, graduated as a wildcat here in Chesapeake, and then started my career here. So the fact that I was able to come back home and give back to the community where I grew up and the community that helped support and nurture me was extremely excited. And I I didn't know I would get to come back. Yeah, when I when I left to have different experiences. And I still remember when I talked to Dr. Nichols, who was a superintendent at the time, sure. I was a director of assessment and accountability, and I said, Dr. Nick, do you think I can come back? And he said, probably not. And you gotta you gotta know Dr. Nick to know what a great mentor and guide for me. He just learning from him. Sure. Even after I left, he continued to be a mentor for me. So I really didn't know I'd get a chance to come back, but the fact that I was fortunate to come back and serve my hometown was incredible.

Jay Lewter 4:13

Yeah, and looking back at 2018, is there any advice that you would give yourself today, you know, all these years later, any advice you would give your 2018 version of you?

Dr. Jared Cotton 4:25

Stay strong. Stay the course. I know we'll probably get into this and into some of our conversation today, but good grief, we did not know what was coming in 2020, right? So uh so stay strong and stay resilient. Uh also stay the course because uh we we've been through a lot over the last eight years. But I also remember that my first week of school, we had the hurricane threat. I don't know if y'all remember this. Uh we had mandatory evacuations for for zone A where everybody had to leave, and a lot of our schools were in zone A. And of course, I personally lived in zone A. So we were all having to evacuate and we had to close school, and I had to announce that at a board meeting, and it was four of the most beautiful days we've ever seen. But you don't you don't know when you can't predict to get that report, and that just set the tone for what I had in store the beginning of my tenure. But but we've had, as you know, you you have ups and downs, you have times where everything's going great and times when you're challenged, and no one could have predicted what was gonna happen in spring of 2020. Yeah.

Early Priorities Technology And CTE

Matt Graham 5:31

So when you were coming in, you were gonna bring some initiatives with you, right? What were maybe some of those that took hold rather quickly and easy? And maybe what were some that maybe took a while to get through?

Dr. Jared Cotton 5:44

Well, one of the things I've learned about leadership is you always wanna take your time with changing things too quickly. And that's why I always tell our principals when they go to new schools, sometimes you you can't go in there and change everything. You have to be very thoughtful about changes before you bring them forward. I've always told people that small changes sometimes you you need to make, but other things you need to watch and kind of learn more about as you get started. But I knew right away we needed some work in technology. When I started visiting schools, literally the students would turn around and look at me when they're on their their Chromebook because the internet was so slow and they would look at me and say, What are you gonna do about this? And and that's one of the moments where you say, Well, gosh, somebody needs to fix this, and you realize you're the somebody who needs to get it fixed. So I knew that we had a lot of work to do in technology, and it's not because we weren't trying to develop the technology or that we weren't working on it. We just didn't have the funds. We were coming out of a recession where we didn't have the resources to to update and do the things we needed to do. So I knew that was something that that needed work moving forward. I also knew I wanted to expand and grow career and technical education, which is is something that started slowly. But what I noticed is the business community really took hold of that, as well as economic development, as well as our community leaders, and we got a lot of excitement around that. So that's one area that really started moving quickly based on support in our community. And and and I'm proud of all that we've done in that area in particular.

Matt Graham 7:19

Yeah, yeah, it's grown tremendously with the college and career readiness, the CCC programs, everything. So yeah.

Dr. Jared Cotton 7:26

And what's interesting is when I had my first state of the schools, which was not my favorite because uh it was not the most entertaining in my opinion, because I was doing a lot of reading and a lot of talking, and I was talking about my two children and how they took different paths. One went career in tech education, one went college, and we talked about how important career in technical education is and how the opportunities are vast, and and that we all grew up with college being uh non-negotiable, but what I've learned is going directly to work can be a great career for for a student, and and then let those employers pay for your let the employer pay for your college and and move forward. So I talked about that at my first day of the schools, and and eight years later I still have people who tell me they remember me saying that and they hadn't heard a superintendent talk about workforce and career and technical education as a viable option, but I do think that that's something that has really taken hold over the last several years.

COVID Crisis And Returning To School

Jay Lewter 8:30

For sure, very impactful. Dr. Cotton, every superintendent faces a defining challenge. Here it comes. This is the question you were waiting for, right? So uh I think I know the answer, but I'd love to hear it from your perspective. What was your defining challenge and how did it shape you in Chesapeake Public Schools?

Dr. Jared Cotton 8:49

Well, I knew we were gonna get there, but COVID, and as much as I hate to talk about it now, we really got hit that spring with something frightening at the time. We didn't know what what was going on when the schools closed. And I I still remember when the governor made the announcement that schools were closed. Sure. And it was supposed to be a two-week closure. Right. And then before that two week two weeks were up, it was announced we were closed for the rest of the school year. And we just weren't ready for that for a lot of reasons because we didn't have the one-to-one technology, not all of our families had access to internet. And so we were just scrambling to make sure our students had what they needed to continue to learn, and and not only that, basic needs. We had to make sure our students had food and resources, and we had to rally our community partners and our churches to help. So that period of time was a whirlwind, and and we had no idea what to expect or what was gonna happen next. And everyone was making decisions about how they're gonna tackle it, and then they changed their mind, and then we'd shift gears, and that's when we learned that word pivot, right? We were pivoting constantly. We did, we did, which is a word I don't like to use anymore. And then the other thing that happened was we had bus drivers and school nutrition workers, custodians, they couldn't come to work, and then they needed to get paid. And then on top of that, we lost about $10 million in funding almost overnight. So I had to figure out how do we pay our employees and and keep them on the payroll. So literally what happened was every morning, my cabinet, my leadership team, we were on at nine o'clock every morning, and I was constantly trying to figure out how we were gonna handle all these challenges. And then at the same time, I was weekly on calls with the city partners, you know, our emergency management trying to figure out how we're gonna navigate through all of that. But but I would say not only was that a defining moment for us, but the next fall where we were trying to figure out what are we gonna do, we came together with leaders across the district and we said, What is our mission? What's our core mission? We're here to educate children of our community. That's our mission. And we're off mission if we're not bringing our kids back to school. Sure. And I always tell people that we we brought back our most vulnerable, our youngest learners, our students with special needs, our our preschool students, our English language learners. We started bringing them back first and we brought them back in waves. I mean, it was difficult because we had masks and shields, and we we couldn't hardly hear each other, but we we knew that we had to bring our students back to school, and we brought our teachers back to school. And even though they were teaching virtually, they were teaching it from their classroom because we knew if the teachers didn't come back, the students would never come back.

Jay Lewter 11:38

Right.

Dr. Jared Cotton 11:39

So we made some tough decisions that weren't popular during that time, and and I finally got to the point where if 50% of the people were okay with what we were doing, we were probably doing pretty good. But it seemed to be 50% were against us, 50% were for us. And of course, you remember that time the board meetings were very long. Oh, yes, they were with lots of feedback, but but in the end, I would say it really showed our resilience from our leaders, from our staff, from our students, because the way that we were able to navigate through that, and I think it put us in a better place, but it really set us apart in that we were leading on purpose. And that's what I'm really proud of when I when I look back. I'm also glad it's over for sure. But I also learned that I'm much more resilient than I thought I was, and Jay, you were a principal then.

Jay Lewter 12:32

So Yeah, and I'm I'm so glad that you you mentioned that, Dr. Cotton, because I think during that time we established the phrase, what is it, you know, uh building the plane while it's in the air. Right? That was a big sort of another expression, just like pivot was a big expression during that time. But Dr. Cotton, as a it gives me an opportunity to give you some praise because I really feel like as a principal during those days, I feel like our return to school was very strategic and very intentional. And I think that school leaders and teachers and our community saw that and felt that and appreciated the the thoughtful return to school that you and the team put together during that time.

Dr. Jared Cotton 13:10

Yeah. And I appreciate our uh, you know, our health director, Nancy Welch. Uh, Dr. Welch was an amazing partner during that time as well because we partnered and really worked together. I remember going to visit schools with her to measure how far apart the desks were.

Jay Lewter 13:25

I still have tape measures in my desk drawer for just that reason in the classroom.

Dr. Jared Cotton 13:29

And I said, I need to bring them back, I need to bring them back. Can can what if we did this? What if we do that? And and the fact that we have partners who are open with the mindset we need to bring our students back, not we need to shut everything down. We need to get back. And and having partners who have that same philosophy really paid off. And I could go on and on about, I mean, those phone calls. They still tease me about the phone calls because we would we would get on the calls with the city and I would start telling them some of the challenges I'm dealing with, and and they they would all say, after listening to me, they all felt better because they weren't dealing with anywhere near what I was dealing with. Wow. But it would, but you know, and you were a teacher then. Oh yeah. You were at Great Bridge Middle School, Matt. And you were, I remember you that's when you started your podcast over there. Yeah. So I know you were you were working on the city. We were in the thick of it.

Matt Graham 14:20

I mean, and we were literally doing one of your the piloting of going one-to-one where you were talking about your initiatives, and we were on that track. And the day that we were piloting one-to-one, the next day we shut down. I was like, oh, what we did all this work and we're out.

Dr. Jared Cotton 14:34

It's funny you mentioned that because I was trying to implement one-to-one technology, and I was taking early adopters schools, and Great Bridge Middle was a school that was ready to move forward. And we we had a five-year plan, and I always say it turned into a three-month plan. Yeah. We really did. We became one-to-one overnight on Facebook. We became overnight. We became one-to-one in in but three months. But anyway, uh, but yeah, I would say that you probably knew we were going to go there. That was probably a defining moment, not just for me, but for our our school district.

Matt Graham 15:06

Yeah.

Jay Lewter 15:06

Sure.

Full Circle Joy And Funny Memories

unknown 15:07

Yeah.

Matt Graham 15:07

Well, Dr. Cotton, that is definitely a defining moment. I believe we can all agree on that, but we're going to change it up here a little bit. We're going to bring back some positive vibes here in the studio. I want to know, is there a moment or two that when you're looking back at your time here with Chesapeake that makes you smile, that makes you laugh or even a chuckle here or there?

Dr. Jared Cotton 15:28

Well, there's so many funny things that have happened over the years, but I have to tell you that the thing that makes me smile is last June I had the opportunity to speak at Crestwood Intermediate for their last fifth grade class that was moving up to well, moving up to middle school, but also the last class to graduate or move on from the old Crestwood Intermediate, because the next year they're moving into their brand new one. So they invited me to be their keynote speaker at their moving up ceremony. I keep calling it a moving up ceremony. It's not a graduation really, but it's a moving up ceremony, which is what they call it. So just a full circle moment for me. I mean, I was a student there in uh fifth and sixth grade. I was a teacher there in fifth grade. So literally I had my fifth graders in that very same auditorium in that program. And and of course, what makes me chuckle, I guess you'd say, is the number of performances that we did for the students. I remember one year I was Elvis, which I hope I hope we never hope we never find those pictures. Oh, we're gonna be able to do that.

Matt Graham 16:38

Oh, we're gonna hunt that down.

Dr. Jared Cotton 16:41

And so we did silly things for kids because you just really wanted to show them how much you cared about them. And it's so funny when I see students now, they remind me of those things when I was Elvis, and then one time I remember I was we were dancing up there doing doing something. But then also having the chance just to come back after teaching there and being a student there. And then they've invited me back this year in the brand new school. They've asked me if I want the honor to speak to the fifth grade class that's the first class in the brand new Crestwood Elementary. So that that makes me smile just thinking how interesting life is because I know I've told you the story that my first teaching assignment was in the same classroom where I was a fifth grade student. Right.

Matt Graham 17:26

Yeah.

Dr. Jared Cotton 17:27

So it was a full circle moment for me. And one of my colleagues is still teaching there, and she's been there for 30 plus years. So she remembers all the silly things that we did for kids. But that that does make me smile when I think

Perks People And Weather Calls

Dr. Jared Cotton 17:41

about it.

Jay Lewter 17:41

Well, speaking of silly things, Dr. Cotton, we're gonna ask for some secret knowledge now, okay? Is there a secret perk of the job of being the superintendent for Chesapeake Public Schools that you're going to miss that people might not know about?

Dr. Jared Cotton 17:56

Well, when I was a principal, I used to say that you get you get a parking space and you can use the copy machine whenever you want. So there you go. Very nice. So those are two things. But as a superintendent, I I rarely use the copy machine these days. And and you all know I I don't carry a lot of paper around with me. I like to have everything digital, but but I'd still have a c a parking space. And and I have to admit that when I first came back as superintendent, I didn't have a designated parking space in the old building. They the superintendent used to park in the in the back alley, which in the back alley of the of the quick exit some days. Is that what that was for of the the old building, but uh then they realized that it probably wasn't a good idea because you get stuck back there. But what I learned very quickly is I like to visit schools quite a bit. And with the parking situation in our old building, I never had a place to park when I came back. So I finally said, look, I need a parking space in the in the back. So it it's always nice to have a parking space, and and I have one here, which is good. So I guess that that's a that's a perk. And in this building in particular, I guess a perk would be I get to be the taste tester for all the food the students there you go cook and the great perk and they do a great job, too. Because I feel like it's you know, making sure that quality control.

Jay Lewter 19:14

Nothing goes out unless Dr. Cotton likes it.

Matt Graham 19:17

Yeah, but along that same side, but maybe a little bit of seriousness. What's something that you you're gonna miss the most? But what's something that you know you won't miss?

Dr. Jared Cotton 19:27

Well, well, I'm gonna miss the people, and of course the students. I've talked to a lot of my colleagues who've retired and and they will tell me they don't always miss some of the day-to-day work, but they really miss the people and the team. Yeah. I've I have an incredible leadership team and I have incredible staff, like the two of you. Thank you. I'll say that since you're sitting here. Appreciate it. But I've but I've really enjoyed building those relationships and and working together. And but I also really enjoy being around the students. And I have to tell you that whenever I have a rough day, my my secretary will say, We need to get some school visits in for you. And I'll go visit schools and I'll go read because I get invited to read in schools and and go to schools to visit. And whenever I can, I always go, you know, and I sometimes people say, Why do you you don't have to say yes to all of those, but I I do because I I love to be in schools, and that's why we we got into this business. So I'll I'll miss all of those things, but the things I won't miss, I won't miss the weather calls, you know, the uh the early mornings with uh the closures. I won't I won't miss getting up at 4 a.m. and and staying up late and and constantly checking the roads and checking the apps and and worrying about weather and and stressing over making the right decision. That's probably that's probably what I'm looking forward to enjoying snow again because I I have to admit I have not enjoyed snow for the last 15 years as a superintendent, but I I am looking forward to building a snowman and enjoying stuff and let someone else worry about a snow day.

Jay Lewter 21:05

So all your time at at TCC and the George Washington University and ODU, there was never a meteorology class. Is that what you're telling us?

Dr. Jared Cotton 21:14

Uh no, no, no, no. Actually, it it's funny because I I originally was studying oceanography and marine biology. Um but that's why one of the reasons why I loved going into teaching because I felt like I could I could learn about everything and and teach about everything. When I taught fifth grade, you know, you were an elementary teacher. You I got to teach about everything. Because I couldn't narrow down what I was most interested in. I was interested in so many different things. But yeah, unfortunately, weather calls are never as accurate as you would like them to be. It's certainly something you'll never miss. And we always get blamed. So regardless of what decision you make, it there's always a group that doesn't agree with it and they tell you about it. But you but you just have to make the best decision you can with the information you have, and that's what I that's what I tell people.

Matt Graham 22:00

Right, right. Now,

Retirement Returns And Sub Stories

Matt Graham 22:01

at the recent retirement ceremony, and actually at every retirement ceremony that you've been a part of, you always say this line. If in a few months or even a few years you realize that retirement just isn't right for you, that will always welcome you back. So, Dr. Cotton, what's your thoughts on that statement now that you now that you're here with us?

Dr. Jared Cotton 22:26

That hit a little different this year for sure. They were funny when I was working on my comments for the retirement ceremony. They said, Do you want to say this again? That's right. But but I have to tell you, certainly I don't plan to come back in any any way or shape or form. But so many of our retirees, they do come back and work part-time or or provide assistance. And just to tell you a funny story, and I don't know if you guys realize this, but at my retirement celebration, my sixth grade teacher showed up.

Jay Lewter 22:56

I had no idea.

Dr. Jared Cotton 22:57

My sixth grade teacher from Crestwood Elementary, Jeanette Shuler, showed up to wish me congratulations. And I also have to tell you, when I came back to Chesapeake, she was at Inny River High School when she retired. She retired from Innu River High School drama. She actually taught Jay Farrow was in her class at Innu River High. So she came up behind me and calling my name and I said, and I right away recognized her voice and and I realized it. But but the reason I share that story is not only was that incredible that that she was there, and then she even sent me a follow-up card, but she retired a few years ago, and she called me a couple months later and she said, I need to get back to work. Do you have a job for me for me? And I said, I'm so glad you called. I said, We always need good people to sub. And when I saw her the other night, she told me she's still subbing for us. Wow. So that's great. So there, there, and we have so many stories of amazing people who've retired, and there's a part-time opportunity or a chance for them to come back and help in a in a certain way. And we love to bring them back on a part-time schedule. And whether they're coaching new principals or coaching new leaders, we have some of that happening, or if they're being working as a substitute. We also have teachers who come back. And now with the teacher shortage, the way that it is, they can come back and get a full salary plus their retirement benefits. So there are some great perks to that. So that's why I always do the advertisement to make sure we'll welcome them back. And when we have some who come back because they like to be a part of Chesapeake Public Schools, and it's hard to it's hard to walk away from that. I think the new superintendent would have a problem with me coming back. So I think I need to keep my but I'm gonna I'm gonna enjoy watching from afar, is what I'm looking forward to.

Jay Lewter 24:48

I think that teaching is a is a career that becomes part of your identity, right? It's something that's you know, it's in your heart, and it's it's hard to it's hard to let it go. And and speaking of that, Dr. Cotton,

Building Pathways And Lasting Legacy

Jay Lewter 25:00

retirement gives us a chance to think about legacy, doesn't it? That's a big word, it's a powerful word, but it's important. What do you think you'll be most proud of leaving behind uh from your time in Chesapeake Schools?

Dr. Jared Cotton 25:14

Well, there's so many things I think that and and again they get attached to me and it and I've told the leaders all the time, I say it's it I get all the attention, but I'm not doing all the work. So the people who are doing the work are still here doing the work when long after I'm gone. So I I do like to make sure I remind people that, you know, with all the accolades and and wonderful things that have happened over the last few months, which I very much appreciated. I I it's important to remind everyone that the people doing the work are still here. They're not going anywhere. But I think that we've done such great work with student-centered learning, focusing on creating opportunities for students, especially through career and technical education. I think that I spent the last eight years pushing for a new building for the career and technical education program. And we have our career academies of Chesapeake that we've been really working on. And the good news is we have a plan, we have funding secured, it's gonna move forward. Unfortunately, it will happen after my my departure, but it has taken the full period of time that I've been here to get to this point. So I think that I hope that that's that that will be a part of my legacy, if you will, that that we expanded opportunities for our students, not just in career and technical education, we've also moved forward with lots of other pathways for students because what we we need to understand is not every student fits in a certain mold when it comes to uh schooling. For example, the CVA program, the virtual academy that we put in place, some of the academy programs that we've enhanced. We have a new academy program that's moving forward for Indian River High School that we're working on, entrepreneurship. I'm so proud of the lab school slash academy at Oscar's Oscar Smith Middle School. That was something that we've been really working on for a long time. So I hope that my legacy is just creating opportunities and pathways for students to explore different career opportunities, trades, or other passions that they that they want to pursue.

Jay Lewter 27:21

Yeah, and I'm sure it will. I'm sure it's not true.

Matt Graham 27:22

And and I want to also tell this to you as well as an employee. I mean, we were talking about this school and the students, but there's also our employees, and you've done a lot in your time to help support us. I mean, the amount of benefits and things that we have now today is much more than what it w was when I was first hired. So there's a lot of support systems that are in place for our employees through your time here that has been very nice to be a part of and know that we're being felt valued.

Dr. Jared Cotton 27:50

Well, that that means a lot. And I appreciate that. We we have done some raises over the years that I'm proud of. And not just for one group. It's been for many different groups that we've tried to address and and and that warms my heart when I go visit a school and a custodian comes up to me and says, Thank you for all you've done for our salaries and benefits. And I've had nurses come up to me and and thank me and thank me. And and you forget that when you're running such a large organization like this, and we're a family, we talk about that all the time. Which I'm so proud of that we're a large organization, but we still have a family feel and we care about each other and we demonstrate that every every day. But when I have people come up to me and thank me and notice that I've done something to make their life better or to make them proud to be a part of this great school division, that warms my heart and it and it and it comes out of nowhere. And that's what I appreciate the most about it is they have no reason to tell me that. You know, I'm leaving. I'm leaving, you know, they I'm leaving. They don't have to butter me up. I'm I'm not gonna be here much longer. But that means a lot. And just like now, I mean, I mean, what do you have to say? You know, I'm I'm gone in what a few weeks. You don't have to have to deal with me anymore. I know, I know.

Matt Graham 29:08

But that no, seriously, that's been I I do feel like it's grown in that area tremendously as an employee. So I mean, thank you for all that.

Dr. Jared Cotton 29:16

But I also say that I always tell people my superpower is hiring good people and letting them do their job. So and I would say that about both of you. Hey, well, thank you for that. I take credit for both of you and and you're doing great work. So keep keep doing the great work after I'm gone.

Jay Lewter 29:33

Thanks, Dr. Cotton. We will, we will, we'll help continue that legacy and keep moving it forward. Yeah. Matt's gonna finish us up with one important question.

Matt Graham 29:41

Probably the most important question of all.

Dr. Jared Cotton 29:43

Okay.

Final Message To The Community

Matt Graham 29:44

So if you have one final message to the community, what would that message be?

Dr. Jared Cotton 29:50

Well, I would say just support the schools, continue to support the great work happening each and every day in our schools. One of the things that I've always known about Chesapeake and why Chesapeake has always felt like home to me is that when I came back, there were things that we needed to work on, like I mentioned earlier, the technology, we have facilities challenges, we have lots of issues that we're dealing with. But everyone who talks about Chesapeake public schools, and again, long before my time here, they've always said the school district is amazing, it's incredible. We want to be a we want to live in Chesapeake because of the schools. And it's not because of the technology, it's not because of the buildings, it's not because of facilities, it's because of the people. It's because of the people who work each and every day serving students and families because they love the work. It's in their DNA, as you said earlier, and it's so important to them. So I would say just continue to partner with the schools, support the schools, because I have to tell you, the people who work here each and every day are here because they care and they want to make a difference, and you can take away all that other stuff, all the shiny resources and technology and Chromebooks and whatever fill in the blank. But what it comes down to is the people. And we've got such great people who work every day in Chesapeake. So I would just say support our schools or supporting our community. That would be what I want to say. And and like I said, I'm looking forward to seeing where we go next.

Jay Lewter 31:20

Fantastic. Dr. Cutton, congratulations on your upcoming retirement, and thank you for finding some time to sit down with us for just a few minutes during this really, really busy season. It's so special to us to be able to chat with you and for our listeners to be able to hear a little bit about your time in Chesapeake schools. It's been a real pleasure.

Dr. Jared Cotton 31:40

Thank you all, and I hope this is your most popular episode. It will be. So thank you so much for having us.

Jay Lewter 31:47

Everyone will see you next time on Amplify.

How To Connect And Follow

Matt Graham 31:50

We hope you enjoy the stories behind our story on this episode of Amplify, the Chesapeake Public Schools podcast. Connect with us at cpschools.com forward slash Amplified. And be sure to subscribe or follow us wherever you get your podcast.