Big changes are already showing up in the Victoria Independent School District.

On Aug. 27, members of the Victoria Advocate's education project, "A Community Commitment," took a tour of Patti Welder Middle School. And what we saw floored us.

There was a new energy in the building, from the physical improvements made to the building to the students and teachers actively engaged in learning. We do not mean to say the previous leadership was bad. There have been many success stories that came out of Patti Welder before now. But we noticed there was a marked difference in attitude when touring the school. Perhaps it was the excitement that comes with the first week of school. Or maybe it was the open, friendly attitude of the new administration toward teachers, students and anyone else they met. But whatever the reason, we were happy to see the change and hope it is a sign of many more positive shifts to come.

After this glimpse into the changes at Patti Welder, we are excited to hear about what VISD is planning Monday night. The Founding of a Community of Excellence meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Victoria East High School auditorium. This community involvement meeting will give members of the community a chance to meet the new superintendent Robert Jaklich and learn how each individual can help students achieve success.

According to the district handbook, VISD's focus is "Achieving Excellence for All Students." We think they are off to a fantastic start, and we look forward to seeing what the district can accomplish inside their "612 square miles of excellence."

But this is not something that the district should be left to handle alone. The truth is, these are not just nameless, faceless students the district is teaching. These are our children, grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews. These are our families and our futures, so how can we, as a community, not step up and take ownership of helping them to succeed?

Teaching children success is not something we should delegate to the schools. It is something we should be teaching and showing them every day, which is then reinforced by the education they receive at school. So we encourage members of the community to attend the event Monday night and find a way to encourage kids to reach for success. These are the next generations of Americans. If we let them fall by the wayside, we let our country fall, too.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.

• • WHAT: The Founding of a Community of Excellence community involvement meeting

  • WHEN: 5:30 p.m., Monday

  • WHERE: Victoria East High School auditorium