Usually, the month of January is dedicated to resolutions for the new year. Many people focus on personal goals, while organizations often set budgets aligned with missions and visions.
In education, January represents the beginning of the end of the school year. During this month and February, we adjust budgets and review data to decide if we need to make different spending decisions. Notes are taken on items that need to be considered at the end of the school year in preparation for improving the next school year.
Reflecting on the journey public education has taken in recent years, one might wonder if the field of education is in its January season. Is the profession at the beginning of the end? Perhaps a resolution is needed for education. The many synonyms of the word resolution could serve as a guide for this winter season of education.
Let’s take a look at a few:
Intention – Often, the decisions we make around education are instinctive. Even when we plan extensively, the day-to-day process of running a school or district requires decisions on the ground. Developing a habit of intention is more challenging than it sounds. in philosophy, intentionality (opens in a new tab) It is “the power of minds and mental states to treat, represent, or represent things, properties, and states of affairs.” Every effort should be made to make decisions in education with intention. By doing so, we can improve the educational institution and the lives of the staff and students the institution serves.
Aspiration – Dr. Susan Enfield stated in a recent speech to the Washoe School Board that the nation would look to Washoe Schools for what a community in partnership with its public school system can achieve for its children. The district aspires to meet this expectation under the leadership of this incredible leader. Superintendents have a thankless position in the community for the most part. Still, business leaders, government leaders, and local community activists should view the district superintendent as a key role in the community and work to help them succeed. A district can rise to the top through partnerships like the ones Dr. Enfield seeks.
Willpower – The challenging aspect of running a school or district is the fact that you are running a microcosm of the community that few have perspectives on. Other microcosms are self-selected; For example, churches, grocery stores, and banks are communities of people who have decided to come together. The schools are created by each family in the community that has a child under the age of 18. It takes willpower to lead these microcosms because not everyone comes from similar backgrounds or values, and sometimes families don’t appreciate the differences in people in a community. Judgment and negativity present themselves. Willpower is essential for teachers, principals, and other educational leaders in a district. The amount they need will vary each day, but they will need a healthy dose every day.
Inflexibility – If we have learned anything through the pandemic, we have learned flexibility. As we return to post-normal in our classrooms, schools, and districts, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Flexibility is good for students and staff. Allowing everyone to exercise flexibility may be one of the best decisions you make this year.
Audacity – Recently, Seattle Public Schools Filed Lawsuit Against Social Media Companies (opens in a new tab) based on the impact of social media on children’s mental health. That’s bold! And it’s exactly what districts should be doing for the community of children they serve and protect. If each district assumed this boldness in their respective neighborhoods, where would education be in this country?
Tear – Over the years, schools and districts have adopted practices that have seen their prime, and these practices must be eliminated. Some should simply go away and others should be replaced with updated and relevant practices that are more efficient and have opportunities for better results. This doesn’t just apply to instructional practices; many organizational practices need to be eliminated.
If we’re entering the winter of education, these resolutions could be just the ticket to rejuvenate for a spring. There is no better time than now to change education into what it should be for every community: a way for children to learn the principles and values of our community and develop the skills necessary to become productive and contributing citizens. This is our goal as educators, and this is our year to shine!
Happy New Year!
