Our Educational Community, Faith, and Risk.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

I cannot help but feel all the arguments in the world about money, taxes, politics, the environment, are insignificant to the reality that we as human beings have a greater servant purpose, a greater moral calling to our race, to pass on what we know to all those we encounter, good, bad, disruptive or not, that we educate them, treat them dignity in our words, with compassion in our eyes and with unconditional love in our hearts. One day perhaps we will no longer see the textbooks on the desks, the erasers on the board, money will not be an overriding factor in education, it will be left to us, the educators, the parents, we the people, to educate all the children, lest we become nothing more than artifacts of educational existence. Profound as spoken words may be it is my wish that everyone in our community know that truly your faith in the education of the child is what will bring light and promise to the seemingly dark days ahead. New paradigms in education will arise and will be embraced by the faithful.

Indeed as our community is gifted with the character and virtues of all those who would want for the child to be free from harm and embraced with no other feeling than safety and security, it is our duty as the human race to give of ourselves all that shall encompass the raising of a child. Have we as mankind succumbed to the apathy of societies ills that we look past our children, even those whose behavior sends a different message, the disruptive child, the failing child…a thorn perhaps, what of others that speak of the child as an orchid that needs special attention and care for it to blossom before its death, are they not one and the same.

Do we as an educational community feel that there is often too much to risk when we are challenged by the hierarchy of a system, it’s management or boards. We must understand that in the current educational environment, things will continue to change and new ideas and energy will be brought forth for our children. We cannot look to the past and ask “why,” but more so, to look to the future and ask “why not.” It is my hope that our educational community will not look to the past for its answers but to embrace the future and take the risks needed to move forward into the light of success.

In today’s school systems leadership there often lies an underlying culture of caution. It manifests itself into what many leaders would call their “duty to deny.” A pre-determined component of their scope of work, a belief that somehow by making decisions without first denying the initial requests, they are taking too great a “risk.” Thus, risking progress itself and ultimately, the potential for learning and growth at any level whether district or government.

There are inherent risks with every job we perform, every task we undertake. Whether it is the risk of an investment in a new reading program, the risk of an action in a pending lawsuit, or just simply a bad decision. The American educational system on the whole is seemingly locked into a liability mode of operation. Many school leaders and professionals are concerned with whether they will be sued or even terminated at the next turn. More attention is paid to the negative aspects of the job and its risks than a focus on teaching and learning by school leaders.

During my first year as an administrator, I remember writing down what type of administrator I wanted to be, a self-reflection into my experiences with school leaders and their styles and even myself as a teacher leader. I read that paper today, some six years later, and I see that indeed I have tried to become what I envisioned. A leader who is cautious, but fair, and genuinely someone who is a risk taker. I knew then as I do now, that this type of approach, this “risk” taking, might very well find me on the chopping block of school leaders who have perhaps taken too great of a risk. This is where the “duty to deny” appears. As school leaders, nobody wants to fail, and certainly not wind up on the chopping block. We see the “duty to deny” at the district level in schools and in local government also. District leaders often do not want to assume the risk that comes with the termination of a school leader, and hence they lower their risk by transferring or allowing the school leader to resign, which perhaps does nothing more than move them over into another category of “risk.”

And it’s not just simply about taking risks, it’s about taking risks of “major proportions,” the ones that great things come of, these are the things we want as leaders. We must in all gods-speed-proceed-to wit our dreams and create change by embracing what it is that challenges us, to reflect wholly on our comforts, our complacency, and act on the vision and not sedate our minds and temper our thoughts. If we are to truly reform the schools of today, if we are to truly create a profound and significant paradigm shift in the way in which we and others think about our profession then we must take the risks of epic proportions and never look back upon defeat as an option. We must prepare for the good fight and make it happen. Risk involves empowerment, encouragement, embodiment of your mind, your body, your spirit, your faith, your love, you must live it, and you must love what you do. As much as the man who climbs Mount Everest with only steel for legs, you may stand alone in risk, but like the man you have a thousand unheard voices supporting you, voices that are with you, you cannot fail in risk. Risk gives you reason to live, it rests inside each one of us. These risks of epic proportions are to be witnessed by all. With their eyes they can see the connection between your leadership and the risk that you take, in this, there is learning, exponential growth connected in the common ideal that as a leader it is the risk that you have taken that has made the change for the good. Just as we do not dare ourselves to be afraid of change, so it should be that we are not afraid of risk. To take a risk is to be willing to make mistakes, to play the devil’s advocate even when it is unpopular; taking the risk that challenges the problems even when there is no certainty in the solution, the risk that you will personally and professionally add to your growth and accomplishments is a risk we must consider undertaking.

Carol Dweck, Professor Department of Psychology, Stanford University in her article, “Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development.” (2000), explains; “Quantum leaps in learning, solving problems, inventing new products, and discovering new phenomena ‘require’ risk taking. Risk taking within the learning environment requires a willingness to think deeply about a subject or problem, share that thinking with others to hear their perspectives, listen to their critiques, and then build on those experiences toward a solution or solutions.” What Dweck and other writers like her describe is an approach that we must take regarding risk. A systematic way of tackling the problem of decision making. Whether that is during a WASC meeting in preparation for accreditation, or a simple school project. The greater the risk the greater amount of time we should spend listening and building on what the collective groups experiences may be.

Just as we who profess to be school leaders and the future school leaders of today, will take on the challenges of the new paradigms in education, we must take the risks of creating our own paradigm in the way we approach education. We must believe in our ability to share equally in the vision of the CNMI and move forward together with inspiration and commitment towards education. If we fail to act in this regard, we have all failed, and failed our children. I ask now only one question, what are you going to do about it?

“The strength of the United States is not the gold at Fort Knox or the weapons of mass destruction that we have, but the sum total of the education and the character of our people.”

— Former Sen. Claiborne Pell