Oftentimes in our world today it is common practice to turn to social media to get our questions answered, problems solved, or to air our concerns. Sometimes it might be that we just want to vent or aren’t sure where to actually look for the information.

However, I think most of us would agree that if you actually want to get accurate information or resolve an issue, you should go directly to the source. In fact, I would venture to say that virtually any business or organization would genuinely appreciate the opportunity to directly address anyone’s questions or concerns. And if we’re being honest, it’s simply the right thing to do. How can a business fix something if they aren’t even aware there is a problem because nobody has let them know about it?

On this same note, I want you to know that in Dysart Schools we have tools and processes in place that can help our community get answers to their questions and have their concerns addressed. I know we’re large and sometimes it’s hard to know where to find what you need or who to talk to, but we have some great resources that are easily accessible for anyone in our community, and I encourage you to use them whenever necessary. In Dysart, we want to partner with you in educating the community, and to do that, we need and value your insight and collaboration.

One of the best places you can go to find the information you need about Dysart Schools is our Dysart.org website. We just launched a redesign of the site over the summer, and have worked hard to put everything at your fingertips. We post a lot of great information and links here, and in the blue bar at the top of the page you can easily find the content that relates most to you by selecting Parents, Students, Community or Jobs. Our home page features our most recent news items, a general calendar as well as links to arts and athletic event calendars, along with general information about our many offerings.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the website, need to verify information, or have a pressing concern, we invite you to contact us directly. We welcome your calls and emails, and want to know about any and all concerns you have. Please do us the courtesy of being cautious about simply taking rumors or a random social media comment about Dysart as a fact. Instead, I ask you to come straight to the source so that we can get you accurate information or the support you need as quickly as possible.

To find out who you should contact first, Dysart has a Guide to Solving Problems on our website at Dysart.org/SolveProblems. This guide will help you identify the district staff members that will best be able to assist you, based on the type of question or concern you have. Typically we ask that you seek to resolve issues at the school site level first, and if the issue is still not resolved, the Guide to Solving Problems will let you know the next person to reach out to.

It is our pleasure to serve you, and our goal is to always provide an outstanding experience for each of our students, parents, staff and community members. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact us when you have questions or concerns related to the school, district or your child’s progress.

Editor’s Note: Jim Dean is the interim superintendent for the Dysart Unified School District.