Dear School District of Lee County Employees and Lee County Community Members,
I am honored and appreciative of the opportunity to lead the School District of Lee County! Collaboration will be essential to our success in achieving our vision of being a world class school system. Our work together requires an unwavering commitment to our students, making their achievement our top priority, and transforming our approach to ensure that all of our students are both college and career ready. Supporting and developing our greatest asset, our children, will not only ensure their individual success, but the success of our community - both now and for future generations to come.
We cannot do this work alone. Our school district and community must work in partnership if we are to fulfill our mission of ensuring that each student achieves his/her highest personal potential. We must commit to creating a school system that prioritizes high achievement, student success, and preparing all students to be productive citizens. Our students deserve this commitment, as do our educators, support professionals, and community. When I was young, my parents instilled within me the value of education. When we became a single parent household, my mother shouldered the burden to raise me, but relied on educators, faith leaders, neighbors, and coaches to assist me in becoming the man I am today. Those supportive adult relationships created a circle of safety and guided me on a pathway to success. I have been blessed with the privilege to provide my children with those same systems of support. I believe that every child should have the opportunity to dream, explore, and pursue whatever they want to become in life. Providing our children access to a high-quality education and caring adults can produce life-changing outcomes.
This entry plan will serve as a foundation for reaching those outcomes, allow for our community’s collective voices to be heard, capitalize on the momentum already established, and influence the path forward so that our students will flourish. The goal of this entry strategy is to listen, learn, and then plan in order to lead our students and community to even greater success. The listening phase is already underway. It began immediately following my selection by the School Board on February 1, 2022. As listening informs my learning, I will move to leading and implementation.
During the interview process, I was clear that I would not arrive in Lee County with a predetermined plan of implementation. Instead, I expressed a need to work together with a variety of stakeholders to address the needs of our students and diverse community. As I continue to meet with internal and external stakeholders, those conversations will deepen my understanding of Lee County. To create open dialogue, my questions are open ended and include:
- How are the students performing and are they prepared to be productive citizens?
- How do we define and measure success, as a community and school system?
- What are our strengths as a school system and community? How do we know?
- What challenges must be addressed to realize our vision as a world class school system?
- What are some areas that we should seek to improve (short- and long-term)? Why?
While the plan is a guide for my entry to Lee County, it must remain flexible and aligned to the needs of the students and stakeholders of our school district. The students of Lee County deserve a world class education; and as a community, we have a responsibility to provide this opportunity for all children. This plan is intended to chart the path from my first days of service to my first evaluation in November 2022, and to provide accountability to the School Board and the community. I am excited to serve the students, families, and staff of Lee County; and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Respectfully,

Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D.
Superintendent