(BALTIMORE – August 27, 2025) – As we step into the 2025–26 school year and data, funding, and policy dominate conversations in the education space, I offer prayer. Prayer is how I frame hope, summon courage, and speak to the possibilities we hold for our schools, students, and communities. For me, it’s both personal and purposeful. Prayer is not just about closing our eyes—it’s also about opening our hearts and minds to vision.
District Office Leaders
I pray this year brings innovation, courage, and responsiveness to the complex challenges you face. May every decision reflect both vision and practicality, balancing immediate needs with long-term transformation. May bureaucracy never become a barrier, but instead a pathway to systemic change and equity.
School Administrators
I pray this year you lead with optimism, collaboration, and clarity. May you receive the resources, autonomy, and guidance needed to balance the demands of so many stakeholders. And may you never lose sight of safety as both a priority and a promise to the students and staff who look to you for stability.
School Support Staff
I pray this year brings you compassion, strength, and empowerment. May you not be overwhelmed by the harsh realities you encounter, but find balance through gratitude and community. And may safety be extended to you as you protect and nurture students each day in both seen and unseen ways.
Teachers
I pray this year you find creativity, purpose, and joy in your calling. May safety surround your classrooms and hallways so you can focus on what you do best. Let your passion for learning ignite curiosity in every student as you literally develop our world one student at a time.
Students and Parents
I pray this year is marked by robust learning and exponential growth. May safety surround you—on buses, in hallways, on playgrounds, and within classrooms—so your full potential can flourish without fear. May your needs be heard, your curiosities encouraged, and your voices uplifted in ways that affirm your dignity.
Collaborators & Partners
I pray this year rewards your consistency, innovation, and commitment. May your access and opportunity expand so you can bring resources where they are needed most. And may your impact open doors for students and families that create lasting, generational change.
The Rest of Us
I pray this year we choose not to sit on the sidelines as spectators. May we show up—bringing our time, talent, and treasure— to schools in our community. And may this be the year we all learn that when we show up, transformation is possible.
The 2025–26 school year is not just another year—it is an opportunity to be present, to show up, and to make a difference. Whether you lead a district, support a classroom, run a business, or live in the community, your presence matters. Together, let’s commit to creating a connected and hopeful school year where every student, family, and educator can thrive.
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Dr. Beshon Trusty is the Executive Director of the Educator’s Empowerment Center
www.educatorempowerment.org
