A GREATER PURPOSE
I Brian T. Woods
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE All of us, I believe, have a fundamental need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Kevin Brown and all of the TASA staff on an outstanding, if virtual, Midwinter Conference. I thought the variety of session choices and the quality of those sessions was as outstanding as we normally get at our in-person conference. I also really appreciated the strand of offerings on race and equity, as this is a conversation in which we are going deep. As you know, the opening general session featured a conversation between Kevin Brown and Simon Sinek. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from the best-selling author and self-described “unrelenting optimist.” Many of you know his books. Part of his comments were directed at the difference between what he calls “blind positivity” and optimism. I suspect that this was meaningful to many of us. He said we obviously cannot ignore the challenges we face in the moment or fail to take steps to address what we can, but we also can’t lose focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. The notion that the future is bright is optimism. I acknowledge that there has been criticism of the COVID-19 response in my district. I own some of that criticism. We have all made mistakes in the ambiguous times since March 2020. But, like you I suspect, every leader I speak with from teachers to directors to principals and trustees is looking for solutions for the here and now. No one is ignoring the challenges that we face each day or failing to try and forecast the challenges that are yet to come. Those conversations are real and ongoing. Let’s just not lose sight of that light at the end of the tunnel. It too is real. And it is getting brighter. Hang in there. Related to TASA’s work on race and equity, we were in a meeting with this group right after we recognized the holiday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and some of the participants were sharing our favorite quotes from Dr. King’s speeches and writings. I was reminded of one I have not seen in a long time that really touches my heart. He said, “Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” All of us, I believe, have a fundamental need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This is what best-selling author Daniel Pink referred to in “Drive” (which studies the science of what motivates humans) as “purpose.” Whether that “purpose” is found with a church, a civic group, volunteer organization or in our work, we need to belong to something that we believe adds value beyond serving our individual needs. For me, for almost 29 years, that need has primarily been fulfilled by Northside ISD. I believe I was placed here to make a difference in the lives of the children we serve. In spite of all we have been through in the last 10 months, I hope you feel the same way about your work in your district. Brian T. Woods TASA President Superintendent, Northside ISD
WINTER 2021
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