What if all
public schools (not just charters) were asked to define what they are about?
Next month
my class of 1967 gathers to celebrate our 50th reunion. Deerfield Academy, a boarding school in
western Massachusetts, won’t be the same place we attended half a century ago (we
certainly hope not!), and yet the loyalty we feel (and that the alumni office
depends on) is based in part on the belief that the old school is, in some hard-to-define
ways, much the same. A new library, new
dorms – but in its central purpose – still our school.
A
crazy notion for public education? A public
school, almost by definition—some will argue—cannot have a mission that
survives even a decade, let alone 50 years. Always adjusting to the public’s demands–to
current trends, changing demographics, new legislation out of Washington or the
state capital, a new direction set by the school board, superintendent, the
principal. Nothing lasts.
What
if this is a key reason why many public schools struggle? A guiding principle for our strongest private
schools, adopted by the charter school world these past 25 years, is that schools
need a clear set of beliefs and goals to commit to, and by which to set their course. Hardly “innovative,” but sound. What if every public school had a clear mission,
one that—in its most essential ways—will endure?
We just say yes
One of the most profound remarks I heard about public education in the
past quarter century was this “joke”:
Q: What is the
mission of our public schools?
A: You name it, we start it.
Or-
A: We just say yes.
A clear purpose
Why do we exist? What is our purpose?
No, this is not Philosophy 101.
But educators and schools have our own existential questions.
And in 2017, in America, where we
believe parents, especially in urban areas, should have a choice as to where to
enroll their child, schools need to answer such questions. Parents in the Denver metro area choose based
on much more than a color (blue, green,yellow .…), its School Performance
Framework rating (Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement, Turnaround),
or test scores.
They want to know a school’s
values, its most essential convictions.
Which requires that a school be clear
about its mission.
Low-performing schools - “like a rolling stone”
In studying
the state’s
low-performing schools over many years, I see many slide downhill, bouncing
from one “reform strategy” to the next, “with no direction home.” They struggle to figure out their identity. (if you doubt me, read a few of their Unified
Improvement Plans.) In my analysis of
innovation status for turnaround schools, AV#159, I questioned if this “fresh
start” gets at the root cause of their dysfunction. They take on new names (Pueblo’s
Risley Middle School becomes Risley International Academy of Innovation) or
adopt some amorphous motif (Aurora’s Action Zone: “Five schools … united around
a common theme of International Leadership”).
But do the fundamentals change? You know the cliché: in the end, isn’t this just
“rearranging a few chairs on the deck of the Titanic”? Has the school community stopped to reflect
on the basic values and beliefs behind its educational design? Has it
articulated a broad vision that reflects its academic goals—and much more? Has it hired a school leader and faculty fully
committed to and well suited for its “new” plan?
Critical questions, if a school is to say to prospective
families and students: We are about this. Yes, we would like to serve anyone who shows
up at our door, but please know we are not designed to be anything you want us
to be. This is who we are.
The unfortunate either/or debate of neighborhood versus
charter schools in Denver is less important than whether a school has a clear
sense of purpose. I believe public
education as whole would do well if all schools, not just charters, were
required to think long and hard about the school they choose to be. Which cannot be–anymore than is true for any
good organization—all things to all
people.
Built to Last (Collins) and Start with Why
(Sinek)
Built to Last:
Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
“For (Jim) Collins and (Jerry) Porras, every
organization has a purpose, even if it hasn’t been articulated yet. Purpose
could be described as the heartbeat or soul of your organization—your
organization’s ‘most fundamental reason for being’. Not to be confused with
product lines, services or customers, purpose motivates and inspires. A true
purpose grabs ‘the ‘soul’ of each organizational member” and reflects their ‘idealistic
motivations for doing the work.’
“For
me, Collins and Porras’ best description of core purpose is: …like a guiding
star on the horizon—forever pursued but never reached.”
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Deerfield Academy was founded in 1797, in a charter signed
by then Massachusetts governor Samuel Adams, pledging the Academy to “the
instruction of youth, and the promotion of piety, religion and morality.” Yes, its mission has changed since then; the non-denominational
school I knew no longer put religion at the center. I asked Deerfield for its mission or vision
statements over its past 50 years—see excerpts in Addendum A. I believe you
will be struck by the school’s constancy of purpose—its why we exist—over this time.
My white-haired or balding classmates from 1967 are thrilled
to know Deerfield students today experience a less restrictive environment, a
curriculum less narrow, a student body less homogeneous, a faculty less
detached from the nation’s ills. I know
some classmates doubt it can ever change enough. But for many, we hope the best
of the intangibles survive: a strong school community where a bright and dedicated
faculty care about the students’ growth and well-being; an environment of high expectations
in and beyond the classroom; a short-term goal of college preparation, and a long-term
goal that we might each fulfill our potential and find a way to serve the
common good.
The Shopping Mall High School – no
coherence, no convictions
Schools cannot be static; they must respond to a changing
world. To a degree, perfectly
reasonable. And respond they do. In
spite of the portentous and silly TV ads for the next generation of schools
(XQ: The Super School Project), today’s schools do not look like those of 1917.
But among the most telling critiques of the American high
school—one of the three studies funded in part by Denver’s Gates Family
Foundation in the 1980’s, and that helped inform the work of the Coalition of
Essential Schools—is the book titled The
Shopping Mall High School (Powell,
Farrar, Cohen). The authors
found schools with no coherence and no convictions, eager to please “so that
students will stay on, graduate, and be happy.”
Schools making “accommodations” that “produce a neutral environment
where a do-your-own thing attitude prevails.”
High schools that “take few stands on what is educationally or morally
important,” unable "to forge any workable consensus about what educational
experiences are of most worth....”
Still true, yes? Schools
react, but they do not define what they are for.
Or who they can best serve.
What charter schools borrow from the independent school world
Emma
Willard School, where I taught in the mid-1980’s, was founded in 1814. It is the
oldest school in the nation still in existence set up to offer girls the same
educational opportunity available to boys. Still true.
Note the
first four words in its mission statement (Addendum B):
“Honoring its founder's vision….”
And once higher education was more available to
young women, the school has maintained a college-prep focus.
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My 35 or so years as a student and teacher were equally
divided between public and private schools. One reason I cheered and worked for
the fledgling charter school movement in the 1990’s was that I thought these
new schools—like Deerfield, like the three private schools where I have taught—had
one huge advantage: they would not be
set up to be all things to all people. They would open with a distinct
mission. They would have the autonomy
needed to hire the faculty and staff committed to the school’s most basic
beliefs. They would attract families and students enthusiastic about the
school’s educational philosophy, and commit resources in a way consistent with
the school’s mission.
They would be public
schools, committed to follow state laws, but they would not be all over the
map, responding willy-nilly to the latest trend or reluctantly complying with legislative mandates. And—please note—this felt true for me while teaching in a charter school during the
early years of No Child Left Behind. Do
you recall schools blaming Washington for all their woes back then? Never our worry. We had a mission.
Naturally, then, in reviewing charter school applications
over many years for the Colorado League of Charter Schools, I paid close
attention to this feature. I would ask
you to consider this advice in the League’s 41-page “Quality Standards for
Developing Charter Schools”:
Vision & Mission Statements
This section of the application reflects the school’s vision and mission statements as developed and agreed upon by the members of the founding committee and are likely to produce high-quality education outcomes.
“I’ve found a key piece in all of this is how or whether a school weaves the mission and vision into the very fabric of their culture to ensure implementation in a tangible way.”
Kathy Zlomke, New School Development Manager, Colorado League of Charter Schools
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These statements should answer the questions, “What is the purpose for the school and what is the applicant team’s vision for the school?” The rest of the application should answer, “How exactly will we get there?” An explanation should be given as to the process and impetus for developing both the vision and mission statements.
The vision of the school articulates how the applicants envision the school and its impact in the future (five to ten years).
· The vision statement expresses the ideal, long-term impact, scope and scale of the school. It articulates what the school hopes to be, but not how the school will reach that vision. The vision should focus on essentials, be research based, and provide guidance to the board and administration as the school grows. (For example, all conversations about budget, planning, and staff development would be guided by the long-term vision.)
· The vision statement is focused on the future. It concisely and succinctly defines what the school looks like in five to ten years when it is “all grown up.”
Interested in reading more on the value of, and advice on developing, a mission statement?
See Addendum C - Independent School Mission Statements and Missions
Addendum D - School Mission Statements: Where Is Your School Going?
Addendum E - Keeping the Mission of the School
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What if all public schools were called on to follow this practice?
To be sure, not every mission statement hits the
mark! 😊
“As an art form, the mission statement had
its dangers. As short-form poetry gave birth to the dirty limerick, mission
statements became highly susceptible to both parody and banality. My favorite…
comes from Maria Semple's brilliant dissection of independent school parent
culture, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, in which
the mission of the ‘Galer Street School’ is this: …
a place where
compassion, academics, and global connectitude join together
to create civic-minded citizens of a sustainable
and diverse planet.
“As one character notes, this is a school
that doesn't just think outside the box--its leaders ‘think outside the
dictionary.’”
(Peter Gow, Education
Week, 2014. See more in Addendum C.)
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What if this simple but powerful feature is a key reason for
the success of many charters, that have borrowed this practice from a much
older tradition–that of private schools?
Would it not help public schools escape the burden of trying to be all
things to all people? Would it not
provide some much-needed stability to a field all-too subject to “the latest whatever,” to have a clear sense of what
this school stands for—not just for a couple of years—but for the long haul?
1967, 2017, 2067 – What’s new?
We return to
meet the old gang—most of them last seen 50 years ago. In return, the alumni
office, of course, hopes for a few generous gifts. What may seem strange is that, at this stage
in our lives, we give to the school’s future–to
what we hope students will experience 10,
20, … 50 years from now. A school we
will never see, but one that we want to believe will be true to the best of
what we experienced 50 years ago.
Impossible,
some will say. All is flux. Nothing
endures.
Really? But what if the mission does?
Another View is a newsletter by Peter Huidekoper
Jr. Comments are welcome. 303-757-1225 -
peterhdkpr@gmail.com
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Two examples, of the five:
The Journey - Through daily moments of discovery, struggle, failure, success, and connection we develop a belief in ourselves, resiliency of character, and an awareness of the transformative power of impassioned engagement with our world.
Wellbeing – Dynamic balance in mind, body, and spirit is a life-long pursuit that provides a healthy foundation for self-esteem and happiness. We will care for one another—in good times and in bad times. https://www.emmawillard.org/about-emma/mission
[1]
“Through the end of the headmastership of Mr. Boyden, it is fair to say the
school was run in a very non-conventional administrative fashion …. Certainly,
the purposes and objectives of the school were not written down, were not
reviewed by the trustees, by the students, or by the faculty and certainly were
not openly questioned by any constituency.
The purposes and objectives of the school were articulated in the
day-to-day decisions of the people on the faculty who, for the most part over
the years, did what Mr. Boyden wanted.” (From the 1981 statement of “Purposes
and Objectives,” p. 2.)
Addendum C
Independent
School Mission Statements and Missions - By Peter
Gow*, July 18, 2014
In a
few past posts here I've touched on the role of mission statements in guiding
each independent school along its paths toward doing whatever it purports to
do. Remembering that an independent school is by definition a self-governing
institution operating outside the formal "control" of a higher body
(say, a diocese or a religious province or even another non-profit entity), the
need for some kind of pole star or driving impetus is critical if the school is
to have any coherence in its purposes, its programs, and its culture.
Although
the formal acknowledgment of mission in a concise statement is a product of the
last half century, accrediting bodies were quick to focus on the mission
statement as the central element of the school accrediting process. For many
years this process was largely a close study, first by the school and then by a
visiting team, of how and how fully a school was enacting or implementing or
carrying out its mission, supplemented by some questions around basic
operational issues like financial sustainability, compliance, and safety.
This
process led to a kind of enshrinement of the mission statement creation
process, in which schools struggled to capture in a paragraph or so the essence
of their being and purpose. Schools could agonize over the process, with
committees, consultants, and resident wordsmiths racking up hours (billable,
from the consultants' perspective) as they struggled to get a mission statement
that was "just so." Cheerleading from the business world, whose boom
mission years were those following the publication of mission-lover Jim
Collins's Good to Great (and its step-child, Good to Great and the Social Sectors), turned mission-writing into an
art form, somewhere between haiku and sonnet….
In a
part of my life I get to talk to schools and school people about things to do
with telling their own story, and my work usually begins by looking at a
school's mission statement. Some are quite compelling: specific, realistic, and
concise without being reductive. Others, however, stray into territory marked
out in this generic statement aggregated by Lauren Hasten for a 2009 article for Independent School magazine:
Our school provides a supportive
community while encouraging individuality, nurtures the spirit while
challenging the intellect, and inspires a lifelong love of learning while
teaching respect, responsibility, compassion, and an appreciation of diversity.
Like many real statements, this one leaves no cliché unturned and is almost unassailably true for so many schools--independent, public, religious, charter, and possibly even "home"—as to be virtually useless as a way to understand what a school using it might actually be like.
The
essence of a mission statement is of course to communicate a school's mission,
but in reality looking at mission in the broadest sense is a
much more useful way for schools and outsiders to evaluate the degree to which
a school is doing what is claims to be doing. "Mission" finds
expression in such areas as
* values and vision statements
* strategic thinking, priorities, and directions
* rules and policies for students, employees, and families
* the structure of the academic and extracurricular programs
* expressions of "moral culture," including programs in "character" and "life-skills" education
* systems of rewards and recognition
* values and vision statements
* strategic thinking, priorities, and directions
* rules and policies for students, employees, and families
* the structure of the academic and extracurricular programs
* expressions of "moral culture," including programs in "character" and "life-skills" education
* systems of rewards and recognition
They
understand that a school's mission is more than just a bunch of lovely words.
*Peter Gow has been an administrator
and teacher in independent schools for nearly 40 years. Currently Executive
Director of the Independent Curriculum Group, he writes about the relationship
between private and public education and how the two sectors might draw upon
each other's strengths.
Addendum D
What is your
school's mission? If you have to search through your handbook or you can't
recall the entire lengthy statement, you probably aren't making the most of
your school's mantra. How can you make your mission statement more meaningful?
… Tips for keeping the mission statement alive once it's written.
"I think it
is important for a faculty to have a common set of beliefs," teacher Jean
Etheridge tells Education World. "Sometimes teachers get so wrapped up in
the little stuff that we need to be reminded of where we are going."
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At schools like
Mountain Gap Middle School in Huntsville, Alabama, where Etheridge teaches
seventh grade, philosophies and mission statements are expected. They are one
of the regional accreditation requirements. Mountain Gap's mission statement
(see sidebar) was revised. The school faculty voted to accept the changes,
ensuring that the educators are aware of the statement and agree with the
beliefs it enumerates.
"I do
believe what our mission statement says," says Etheridge. "Perhaps it
is just a reminder of what I am about when I feel daily frustrations and
disappointments have caused me to stray from my course. Maybe having a hand in
writing the mission statement increases my sense of ownership."
MISSION IS A REFERENCE POINT, A REMINDER
Mountain Gap
Middle School isn't alone in placing importance on the development and
implementation of a mission statement. Administrators and faculty across the
country are making an effort to design a creed that identifies the goals,
policies, and aspirations their school communities seek to achieve.
The mission
statement of Freeport (Maine) Middle School (see sidebar) was established by a
subcommittee of the faculty many years before Chris Toy became the school's
principal. The faculty felt that a clear mission statement would facilitate
making decisions that supported middle level students. The statement is
reviewed and revised periodically.
"We do refer
to the mission and belief statements when we are discussing or debating
programs and decisions," says Toy. "Our school organization tends to
reflect our mission and belief statements. I have it posted in my office to
remind me of the context for the many issues and decisions I work through each
day."
Toy adds, "I
think the mission is a useful template from which to work. It's probably an
ideal, but not a reality, for many of us."
MISSION STATEMENT IN PRACTICE
"There was I
time when I would inwardly groan when faced with the prospect of constructing
yet another mission statement. I saw such a task as too much time spent on
something that would soon be tucked away and forgotten," explains Jean
Byl, a media specialist at Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) Junior High School.
"However, because we actually use the statement and remind students and
discuss with students our mission statement, I now see it as a useful means of
communication with the kids."
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Dick Jensen,
principal at Waverly-Shell Rock, has reported that 80 percent of the discipline
problems he deals with somehow relate to a lack of respect or responsibility.
The mission statement of the school targets that concern. It states, "We
will respect ourselves and one another, appreciate individual differences, and
encourage one another to reach our potential."
"We realized
that we needed a framework to express to students (and parents) who and what we
would like our students and school to be -- that is, an environment that
fosters respectful and responsible students," states Byl.
Each morning, the
eighth grade-speech students give the morning announcements and also read the
mission statement at the junior high. The mission is also printed on the school
stationery and the students' agenda (planner) books.
Though it is
difficult for Byl to assess the impact the mission statement has had on the
school community, she has found "teachable moments" in which the mission
statement has provided a springboard for discussion. Faculty members at the
school emphasize the mission statement at the beginning of the year as a means
of clarifying expectations. The statement is also used in disciplinary
conferences. The school is now considering having students write personal
mission statements.
"I like our
mission statement because I think it's so pertinent for the junior high
student," Byl says. "It addresses what we hope they will strive to be
as people. We all know the trials and tribulations of adolescence. [Students]
are seeking to define themselves and to find their niche. The mission statement
gives focus to some characteristics that are keys to happy young people who are
in healthy relationships with other people."
PUTTING VISION INTO THE MISSION
Hayes Mizell, the
director of the Program for Student Achievement of the Edna McConnell Clark
Foundation, agrees with the
idea of incorporating the mission statement in the daily activities of a
school.
Many mission
statements have little practical meaning, Mizell tells Education World. They
are posted on walls and in the student handbook or scheduler, but they rarely
guide or challenge the school. They are too safe and too easily forgotten. Even
in the best of circumstances, Mizell suggests, mission statements are often one
more good intention pushed to the background.
"I think a
major problem with most mission statements is that they are static,"
Mizell tells Education World. "They seem to say, at best, 'This is who we
are. This is what we do. This is what we value.' But if one believes, as I do,
that most schools need to improve, such a statement merely affirms what the
school is rather than what it should be."
Mizell encourages
schools to develop a vision statement rather than a mission statement.
"Of course,
if either a mission or a vision statement is just so many words, then it is
largely useless," says Mizell. "That does not have to be the case. As
in other areas of education, a school will get out of its vision statement, or
even a mission statement, exactly what it puts into it. However, in my view the
statement should also be a tool the school can use to push itself
forward."
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MISSION OR VISION
STATEMENT
A school's
mission, or vision, statement is a living document, says Hayes Mizell. Below,
Mizell shares his thoughts about how school leaders can keep the vision alive.
Establish Your Own Vision Statement
"See
the Lakeview
High School Mission Statement for
an example. A school should develop its own vision statement. What is the
school striving to become? What does it want to achieve? To what extent will it
hold itself accountable for progressing toward fulfilling its vision?"
Revisit the Vision Statement During the School
Year
"Several
times during the school year, the principal may use the vision statement as the
opening for faculty meetings. Make sure each faculty member has a copy in his
or her hand, then read the statement, and then allow 15 or 20 minutes for open
discussion about how the school is or is not progressing toward fulfilling its
vision. With this kind of prompt, there could be some very interesting and
lively discussions, and the vision statement will be a living document. The
vision statement could also be used this way for each meeting of the school site
council or school leadership team."
Reflect on the Statement at Year End
"Probably
once a year, perhaps at the end of school, a school could use its vision
statement for an hour-long reflective discussion about progress or setbacks
that occurred during the school year in relation to the vision statement. What
progress did we make? Where did we drop the ball? What is the evidence that we
are moving closer to fulfilling our vision or not? What do we need to do next
year to accelerate our progress toward fulfilling our vision?"
Addendum
E
Keeping the Mission of the School
In creating and
reviewing the mission, the board must understand and concentrate on the unique focus and expertise of the
school. It must realize what the
school is not as well as what it is. Too many mission statements are
generic — they could apply to many schools. Boards that truly understand the
role of their schools in the communities they serve draft mission statements
that, by themselves and without amplification, clearly articulate the vital, inviolate characteristics of these
schools. Good mission statements do not explain “how” or “why.” They
communicate “what” in clear, inspiring, and guiding words. Mission statements last over time, but regular reviews of the
mission are important so that trustees understand and support it. In reviewing
a mission statement, it is just as valuable an exercise to intentionally affirm
the current wording as to change it. (Excerpted
from the Trustee Handbook, 9th Edition, for the National Association of
Independent Schools, 2007)
http://www.nais.org/Articles/Pages/Keeping-the-Mission-of-the-School.aspx -- (8/13/2013), 
