She started with:  "My name is Shannon Borchers. Dr. Borchers is my husband."

A bigger hush engulfed the room at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville at that moment Thursday evening at Rockwood's board meeting.

Here is what this Rockwood School District resident, who happens to be the spouse of the district's superintendent, wanted others to know and consider.

Many people talk about “change," and why things are so hard to change. They ask, “Why don’t things ever change?” 

When Bruce arrived in Rockwood less than three years ago, he was tasked with making changes. The board members who hired him knew that even though Rockwood was an outstanding school district, nothing is ever perfect, and there were some issues that needed to be addressed. Bruce has been bravely and quietly addressing those issues. 

People told him that they wanted transparency, honesty and accountability across the district. He created a Vision Scorecard that provides unprecedented accountability throughout all departments. It’s a level of accountability that is almost unheard of in school districts across the nation.

People told him there was a lack of direction regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment. He has provided focus and direction and test scores are going up for our already high-achieving district. If you are interested in learning more about it, you only need to ask him. He is passionate about student achievement, and his eyes absolutely sparkle when he talks about it.

He did all of this, and much more, while facing terrible criticism in the media, from bloggers and special interest groups. He “keeps calm and carries on” without mudslinging, or politic-ing, or getting into shouting matches with people who have opposing opinions. He has the courage to make hard decisions when they would be easier to avoid. He continues to stay positive and focus on students through all of the mean and hateful things that people say and write. He continues to be a loving father and doting husband through it all. I am so proud of him for being the good man and caring servant leader that he is. 

I would like to ask the community, patrons and critics to remember that there is no school board, administration, superintendent, teacher or person that is perfect. The people who are working for the kids in our district have the best of intentions, even if they don’t always agree on every issue. What we all need to do now is put kindness and forgiveness in our hearts. All of us in this room care deeply about this district and the students that it serves. We should strive to work together, learn together, and become cohesive in our efforts to look toward the future with positive words and actions that are focused entirely on the good of our community and our students.

Thank you.