In his annual end of year report to readers, Winnipeg Free Press Editor Paul Samyn made an important announcement that should be welcome news for those who work in education in particular, and the community as a whole. Samyn announced that the FP will once again have a dedicated education reporter, tasked with covering a multitude of angles pertaining to education.With a total provincial budget of $1.3 Billion, around 210,000 students, 15,000 or so teachers, roughly 1000 schools, millions in property taxes, and the future of our economic, social, and cultural fabric at the heart of it all, education deserves to be at the forefront of public discourse, and reported on accordingly in the province's largest newspaper.Last year, Premier Pallister's Government announced that they were embarking on a major review of the K-12 public education system. In the near future, a report will be released that outlines both the feedback provided by thousands of students, teachers, parents, and citizens, along with a proposed path forward. Nobody outside of government officials knows for sure where the findings of the report will lead us, but whatever conclusions are drawn, it is reasonable to expect that there are some substantial changes on the horizon.The public education system is not always well understood. Many of us tend to believe we have ascertained a solid understanding of the challenges schools face and the “best ways to teach”, in large part because, unlike almost any other field, we have all gone through the system in some way, shape, or form. Oddly enough, we also tend to romanticize the way schools were when we occupied the desks of classrooms and roamed the hallways. “Back when I was in school…” is a common starting point for those lamenting the way things are now, and perhaps, how they “ought” to be. We often tend to focus less on the value of professional input, and more on amateur prognosticating. It would be a strange thing to claim, for example, an understanding of how to run the health care system, or the trials and tribulations of being an ER Doctor or Nurse, simply because we have undergone treatment at some point. Can we gauge an understanding, and justifiably comment and observe areas in which we believe improvements can be made based on our experiences? Of course we can. Should we claim to be experts though? I would caution against it.Schools are complex places. They are microcosms of society, and society is, after all, a complex thing. Today, unlike ever before, schools and those who work within them are expected to take on a variety of critical roles. Ask most teachers, and you would be quick to find that beyond what their certification entitles them to do, they often feel like social workers, doctors, nurses, and psychologists. Recently, John Wiens, a former Dean of Education at the University of Manitoba and school superintendent, has been advocating, wisely, for the enlargement of our schools as social hubs, armed with the tools and resources needed to help provide our kids with a healthy development in their school-aged years.The decision by Winnipeg Free Press to dedicate a beat reporter to education will provide the community with a better understanding of the challenges schools are facing, while also shedding light on the wonderfully creative, innovative, and impactful experiences teachers are providing for their students. The more people understand what is happening in our schools, and the more we can encourage people to take notice, the better off we will all be.  The addition of a dedicated education reporter will provide meaningful insight into a profession that is often misunderstood. It will allow for thoughtful and fact-based dialogue that will equip citizens with the means necessary to pass sound judgement, should they choose, on a system that, in so many different ways, affects us all. Congratulations are due to Paul Samyn and the Free Press  for their recognition of this need and for their commitment to making it a reality.  Local and national newspapers across the country would serve their communities well by following the example of the Winnipeg Free Press.Ben Carr is Principal of Winnipeg's Maples Met School.