By MATT McNALLY
Guest Columnist
Have you ever asked a military “brat” where they’re from? It’s always a complicated answer. My parents were in the military, so I lived in lots of places.
Because I served in the military for 22 years, my children are official military brats as well and have had the same experience. Having lived in Germany, then Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, then back to Texas, and then back again to Indiana, the question, “Where are you from?” begets a complicated answer. In fact, each of my two kids will probably give you a different response.
But I know one thing for certain. They both call Westfield home.
A big part of that “home” has been the incredible teachers at Westfield Washington Schools who have exemplified that.
Westfield Washington Schools and the teachers who work there take their responsibility to our students seriously – and it shows. Westfield High School has a graduation rate of 98 percent, well above the state average. The high school is also ranked 11th among all Indiana high schools statewide.
Additionally, our teachers work hard to have a personal impact on our students. Our community is incredibly lucky to still have a relatively low teacher to student ratio of 18 to 1, making it possible for teachers to have time for every student, every day. Our district also boasts a 100 percent teacher accreditation rate, ensuring that our students are being educated by the very best of Indiana teaching professionals.
When you take a step back and look at our awesome Westfield Washington schools, it’s clear we have great teachers who really care about our children and their success. Maybe some of this is just me reflecting as my oldest is near graduation and onto college, but I truly want to thank every teacher my kids have had along the way – from Shamrock Springs Elementary through Westfield High School.
Thank you for helping my kids make Westfield home – no matter where they tell you they’re from.
Matt McNally retired from the military last year after 22 years of service. He is a veteran of Afghanistan and a formal Naval Aviator. He and his family are proud to call the city of Westfield home.