The Start of School

As a school administrator, you normally wake-up in a cold sweat during the night before the students are due back to school. Concerns of forgetting something or potential glitches due to changes usually produce an inability to get much needed rest.
Even though I had my typical concerns about the start of school, I am glad to report that this was the smoothest opening I have experienced in my four years as the Superintendent of Alexandria Township. The quality of start to the year can be directly attributed to the efforts of every employee in our school district. Thanks to them, our students appear to be off to a great start!
I am hopeful that this momentum will build, leading us into a year that will be unforgettable. Many changes and challenges are on the horizon. Some of them initiated by the school district, others imposed by outside entities. These changes and challenges will likely lead to conflict. In and of itself, this fact is not problematic.
I tend to view any conflict as having the potential to be either productive or destructive. When individuals engage in passionate discussion focused on important issues, the potential exists to gain increased understanding. On the other hand, when the conflict focuses on the people and personalities involved it usually leads to frustration, hostility, blaming and little to no progress.
It is my hope that this year all of us involved in any way with the education of our students will focus our energy and attention on the issues and not the people involved. Imagine what we could do as a school system and a community if we all placed all of our energy into understanding and solving the problems and challenges we encounter. I am certain that going beyond identifying problems to working together to solve them would be beneficial to our students. I hope you will join with me in helping to see this vision become reality.