Superintendent Mario Contini In this column last month, I spoke about the amazing teachers we have in Conejo Unified School District. In today’s column I’m focusing on the support staff.

To quote Dr. Jeff Baarstad, our deputy superintendent, business services, who was recently appointed to be the next superintendent following my retirement in June: “The support staff set the table for great teaching and learning.”

I agree with Dr. Baarstad, but a particular theater experience causes me to use slightly different wording: “setting the stage for great teaching and learning.”

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Broadway play “Wicked” twice. Both times I was enthralled by the story line and the performances of the actors and the orchestra. But watching the play the second time, I began to notice and think about things that escaped me the first time, subtle and not so subtle behind-the-scenes things that supported the actors and the orchestra.

I thought about the talented writers of the clever story and about the artists, architects, engineers and skilled craftsmen who designed and constructed the stage and all its synchronized lighting, effects and moving parts.

It was all so amazing to me. During the multiple curtain calls, it occurred to me that none of the people I’d been thinking about were brought on stage to take bows.

Likewise in our schools, our teachers are on center stage doing a phenomenal job, well-deserving of every bit of credit we can give them.

Having been a teacher myself, I know that teachers everywhere appreciate the support they receive from those working backstage to create a safe, healthy and productive teaching and learning environment.

At the school and district level, this includes the administration, clerical and other nonteaching staff who make sure the operations at each school and the district run smoothly and teachers and students have what they need.

These are the people who tend to student health needs throughout the day and provide nutritious meals that support their learning. They help our students play safely on the yard, watch over our energy efficiency so we can pump more dollars back into the classroom, handle payroll and ensure that the buses run on time, and provide leadership in curriculum development and training.

They maintain our facilities and keep advancing our technology to the cutting edge and beyond. They take care of our special needs students at all ends of the spectrum. They serve as advisers and coaches so that our students can have the highest quality and broadest co- and extracurricular offerings possible.

There are so many other examples, but space doesn’t allow me to list them all.

As when attending a Broadway play, we need to look backstage to see what supports the great performances that we see onstage and in the classroom. When we do, we’ll find hundreds of the very best people doing their very best for our kids.

We should feel extremely fortunate to have them here, setting the stage for great teaching and learning.

Contini is superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified School District.