A Restoration of Purpose
Building a Foundation of Democratic Values
By Principal Philip Brown, Ph.D., North Oconee High School
O
Principal Philip Brown
ur school leadership team was recently charged with reviewing the school mission, vision and crest. Divided into four quadrants, the crest signifies the importance of a comprehensive education. After some discussion, one teacher twisted the meeting like Herschel Walker running through a defensive line in the 1980s. The teacher asked, “How can we have this crest without including a Scantron bubble sheet with A, B, C and D multiple choices?” A laugh or two filled the room followed by intense silence. The teacher’s poignant question pushed back against the low-level discussion and transformed the conversation. It required us to focus on essential questions that are often overlooked: • What is the purpose of America’s public schools? • Do our current practices match the purpose of America’s public schools? Recent research unveiled that Americans’ view
We must tell the accurate stories of our students who succeed against the odds and of the educators who work diligently to provide students with a first-rate education. Speaking together, we have a powerful narrative filled with teachers, administrators and community members working to build stronger communities. 16 PAGE ONE
of public education is distorted due to the perspective of the lens. In Phi Delta Kappa’s recent annual poll, 53 percent of Americans gave public schools within their own community a grade of A or B. Conversely, 72 percent assigned a grade of C or D to schools outside of their community (Bushaw & Lopez, 2013). Apparently, negative stories of the failures of America’s public schools have blurred the lenses of Americans. Educators have the power to greatly influence the viewpoints of others, although we often fail to acknowledge it. We say things such as, “I’m only one person,” or “that is above my pay grade.” Instead, we must tell the accurate stories of our students who succeed against the odds and of the educators who work diligently to provide students with a first-rate education. Speaking together, we have a powerful narrative filled with teachers, administrators and community members working to build stronger communities. It’s Time to Refocus and Collaborate
During a visit to Yosemite National Park, I was awed by the beauty of our country and by our nation’s work to preserve it. While there, a National Park Service ranger reminded me of the story of the giant sequoia trees. For years, park rangers, along with scientists and firefighters, worked tirelessly to protect the massive trees, especially from fire. Later, researchers discovered that their efforts were having the opposite effect. The trees were dwindling in number precisely because they need fire to reproduce. To germinate, a sequoia seed must be opened— August/September 2014
