I was fortunate to happen to be present at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 4.

Supervisor Brad Rasmussen presented Phil Kirby with a certificate acknowledging and thanking him for his 51 years of service in education in Lake County.

A representative of Congressman Mike Thompson gave Phil a similar framed declaration of thanks that had been read into the Congressional Record.

The board and the audience stood and clapped, and Phil remarked as you would expect him to that “it’s always been about the kids.”

Phil started out in Lake County as the principal of Lower Lake High School in the Konocti Unified School District. He then went to the County Office of Education and ran the School Attendance Review Board for many years.

The icing on his educational cake was 17 years as a trustee on the Lakeport Unified School Board. In between he often worked as a substitute administrator at various schools.

Phil just had this wonderful aura. He was all ears and heart. He would listen; he would care. But you also felt that there was absolutely no-nonsense about him.

When I was taking a student and their parents to the School Attendance Review Board board, it meant that all the school-based interventions had not worked. They were still truant.

Phil would preside like a Solomon; each side, the school, the kid, the parents, would walk away feeling like a solution had been reached. Responsibility had been properly laid out, and expectations and consequences were clear going forward.

When he came to sub for the principal at Pomo Elementary, he was out on the playground at every recess. He was always surrounded by kids.

I wish that more of Phil’s colleagues could have been present on Feb. 4 to witness him being honored.

I feel grateful that I have known and worked with Phil who has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many students throughout the county.

Thank you, Phil!

Carolynn Jarrett lives in Clearlake, California.