The New York Times ran an article today highlighting parent's concerns in Manhattan regarding picking the "right" middle school. I began chuckling when I read about one parent's "bathroom test" for schools, in which she stakes out a stall, closes the door, and then monitors all that she hears as students come and go.
Although this provides a humorous visual, I imagine that she is desperately trying to get a sense of the second family that will be holding her child for the next few years. I was also interested with the strikingly different school attributes that concerned students (lockers) and parents (academics).
Underlying all of this is the fear of the unknown and no basis for trusting that the schools have students' best interests at heart, coupled with the knowledge that middle school is a foundational experience that can have a dramatic affect on student's life.
I am hopeful that Park families don't have to know this level of anxiety.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
December Head's Letter
Invictus
William Ernest Henley
1849–1903
William Ernest Henley
1849–1903
| OUT of the night that covers me, | |
| Black as the Pit from pole to pole, | |
| I thank whatever gods may be | |
| For my unconquerable soul. | |
| | |
| In the fell clutch of circumstance | 5 |
| I have not winced nor cried aloud. | |
| Under the bludgeonings of chance | |
| My head is bloody, but unbowed. | |
| | |
| Beyond this place of wrath and tears | |
| Looms but the Horror of the shade, | 10 |
| And yet the menace of the years | |
| Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. | |
| | |
| It matters not how strait the gate, | |
| How charged with punishments the scroll, | |
| I am the master of my fate: | 15 |
| I am the captain of my soul. |
In October I wrote about The Park School’s fundamentals in light of the gathering financial downturn and posited a value proposition that has served Park families for nearly one hundred years: our ability to deliver a high quality, individualized, and experientially based education that transforms students into the person that they are meant to be. Since then, the economy has continued to decline and the country’s collective attention is now focused daily on financial matters as they lead the news. In this climate, it is natural to wonder about the institutions upon which we rely, and I feel it is important to address some of the specific concerns that I imagine you might have.
Is the school financially viable? Yes. Like all independent schools, the downturn has affected our endowment and raises concerns regarding enrollment and charitable giving. With this in mind, we are making very conservative assumptions when developing next year’s budget. However, we are committed to living within our means and are blessed with strong financial stewardship at the board level. Park has a history of delivering a high-quality education within relatively lean fiscal constraints. While we are working hard to lift some of these constraints in the future, they have also provided us with a sense of financial discipline that will prove valuable as we negotiate this downturn.
Will the school’s fundamental mission or program change? No. As we build next year’s budget, we have made preserving the strength of our educational program a priority. We are committed to maintaining the high quality education that we provide your children and will make all possible efforts to avoid budget cuts that affect our fundamentals.
Will aid continue to be available for those in need? Yes. We remain committed to providing well-qualified students access to the school, and 2009-2010 will most likely yield a slight increase in our financial aid budget in anticipation of increased need. While specific financial aid amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, the odds are good that if a family’s financial situation has stayed at a steady state or declined, Park will be able to match or marginally increase its current level of support. As always, we will be following principles of best practice for financial aid as defined by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to ensure that we are scrupulously fair when making decisions regarding aid.
Will tuition increase? Yes. We have historically factored a tuition increase into our budget models, and this year a modest tuition increase will most likely be necessary to develop a balanced budget. Further, tuition alone does not capture the entire value of a Park School education, which is annually supplemented by charitable giving, endowment income, and other sources of revenue. Unfortunately, these revenue sources are particularly unpredictable in the current economy, and we hope to offset their volatility with a predictable increase in tuition revenue.
Are students applying? Yes. Enrollment is one of the keys to our financial health, and inquiries, shadows, and applications continue to come into our admissions office at a rate comparable to years past. Our new admissions team has a realistic goal of holding enrollment steady for next year and is continually adjusting their efforts to match market conditions in order to hopefully meet or exceed this goal. It is also important to note that we will not allow the financial crisis to compromise our admissions standards. In those instances where Park is not a fit for a student or family that seek us out, we will maintain our integrity regarding our beliefs about whom we can and cannot serve.
Are people giving? Yes. Charitable giving to Park remains strong this year and on par with our historic norms. We are tremendously grateful for the financial loyalty and support that we have received from current and past parents, alumni, trustees and other friends. Since the Annual Fund provides important support to the school's annual budget, including our financial aid program which supports our richly diverse student body, we urge all Park community members to show once again the outstanding participation rates that you did last year and make your gift.
What can I do to support the school in these difficult times? We know that our families understand that a Park education is an investment in their child’s future, and hope that you will continue to prioritize the school as you develop your own family budgets. I also encourage you to be as transparent and proactive as possible regarding any concerns or needs that your family may have. Finally, a fully enrolled school is the best inoculation that we have from the immediate effects of this financial downturn, as well as the most direct path to strengthening the long-term health of the school. Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing, and now more than ever we need our families to recommend Park to others.
What will the school do to support me in these difficult times? Above all, we will continue to deliver on our mission while providing a sense of normalcy for the students in our care, insulating them from any heightened sense of chaos that this crisis might bring to the world outside our campus. We will do these things not as a reaction to current financial concerns, but because our calm competence is part of the fundamentals that you have come to rely on. As always, we will remain a committed ally that is, and will always remain, dedicated to the transformative education of your children.
We are the masters of our fate. Together we shall prevail.
Master Class with Roman Mekinulov
Roman Mekinlov, the principal cellist of the BPO, visited us this week to hold a master class with the upper school string ensemble in preparation for the winter concert, where he and his wife Sebnem will be featured soloists.
ROMAN MEKINULOV WORKING WITH THE ENSEMBLE...
It was eye opening for me to watch Roman as he worked with our young musicians. As you might expect, his musicianship is impeccable and inspirational. But more interesting to me was the demonstrable improvement in the ensemble's performance that resulted from the polite yet firm way that he led the class.
...AND DEMONSTRATING MASTER MUSICIANSHIP
Music provides very clear and immediate feedback and professional musicians are used to maximizing their rehearsal time, so Mr. Mekinlov's expectations were very clear ("You are flat, please be sure that you are playing the right note...") and very immediate ("Stop!...now play it pianisimo, as written, from measure 20, Ready? Go...). The orchestra responded by raising their level of performance to meet the standard that he articulated and then reinforced through his own playing.
I must confess that I sometimes soften or delay the feedback that I give to others out of concern that it might somehow be hurtful to their self-esteem or damaging to our relationship, particularly when I am working with students. Roman's "polite but firm" approach reminded me that this might not always be the smart path to helping others improve.
ROMAN MEKINULOV WORKING WITH THE ENSEMBLE...It was eye opening for me to watch Roman as he worked with our young musicians. As you might expect, his musicianship is impeccable and inspirational. But more interesting to me was the demonstrable improvement in the ensemble's performance that resulted from the polite yet firm way that he led the class.
...AND DEMONSTRATING MASTER MUSICIANSHIPMusic provides very clear and immediate feedback and professional musicians are used to maximizing their rehearsal time, so Mr. Mekinlov's expectations were very clear ("You are flat, please be sure that you are playing the right note...") and very immediate ("Stop!...now play it pianisimo, as written, from measure 20, Ready? Go...). The orchestra responded by raising their level of performance to meet the standard that he articulated and then reinforced through his own playing.
I must confess that I sometimes soften or delay the feedback that I give to others out of concern that it might somehow be hurtful to their self-esteem or damaging to our relationship, particularly when I am working with students. Roman's "polite but firm" approach reminded me that this might not always be the smart path to helping others improve.
A New Hamlin Garden
Mr. Deitzer's math class planted a new garden during our fall clean up day. This was the culmination of a math unit that sought to maximize the number of plants that could fit into the planting bed. Students were given a modest budget and then asked to factor in cost per plant as well as the geometry of the space to determine what should be planted and where plants should be sited.
Campus Clean-Up Day!
As I walk around campus and snap pictures, I am inadvertently building a time-stamped record of life at Park. The current view from my office window looks like this:
But I opened up my iPhoto library today and found a set of pictures from our fall campus cleanup in October, when the campus looked like this:
and this...
and this...
A great afternoon of physical labor that had the whole campus involved in raking leaves, painting fences, pulling weeds, and planting 250 narcissus bulbs that will greet us in the spring.
But I opened up my iPhoto library today and found a set of pictures from our fall campus cleanup in October, when the campus looked like this:
and this...
and this...
A great afternoon of physical labor that had the whole campus involved in raking leaves, painting fences, pulling weeds, and planting 250 narcissus bulbs that will greet us in the spring.
Obama's Choice
Washington D.C. independent schools were abuzz a few weeks back as the Obamas were making their decision about which school their daughters Malia and Natasha would be attending.
There was quite a bit of energy in the media around which independent school the President-elect’s family would choose, and some rather pointed digs at the independent school parent culture of Washington D.C. However, I was struck by the fact that there was very little public discourse about whether the Obamas should be selecting an independent school at all, or if they should be investigating the D.C. public schools for their daughters. (To be fair, there is a lot of energy around this topic in the “blogosphere”.)
When President Clinton was making a similar decision in the mid-90s, he sought out the advice of Al Shanker, the legendary president of the United Federation of Teachers, to see how choosing an independent school would play politically. My understanding of Mr. Shanker’s response was that he counseled the Clinton’s to choose a school that would best serve Chelsea’s needs and forget about the politics of the situation. They wound up choosing Sidwell Friends, the same school where the Obama girls will begin in January.
President-elect Obama’s choice was most likely less fraught with political meaning given the fact that he is a product of the Punaho School and his daughters are currently enrolled in the Chicago Lab School, both independent schools. It is also worth mentioning that John McCain is also a product of an independent school (The Episcopal School) as is President Bush (Kinkaid & Philips Academy). Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush sent their children to independent or private schools as well.
As the head of an independent school, I am attuned to the fact that our graduates tend to be disproportionately represented in the top tiers of leadership of our nation’s public and private institutions. Arguably, this fact has as much to do with the demographics of the families that choose an independent school as it does with the education that we provide. This said, I also have some sense that part of my job is to acknowledge a sense of noblesse oblige and to help our students become people of integrity, given the positions that they will occupy later in life.
As a citizen and a proud product of public schools, I long ago made an uneasy pact with myself regarding my choice to work in independent schools. Quite simply, the way we “do school” offers the fewest constraints and offers me the greatest freedom to be an effective educator. I hasten to add that there are many talented public educators who are very effective despite the constraints in which they work – I simply did not feel I was cut out to “do battle” on a daily basis.
Last year I sent my daughter to public school for kindergarten rather than my school, partly because I espouse a belief in public education. Unfortunately, when I compared and contrasted the education that she was receiving with what she could have had at Brimmer and May, I found my beliefs as a citizen were in tension with my concerns as a parent. She is now enrolled at The Park School as a first grader, and I am much less conflicted about my choice.
Which reminds me of a story. Years ago a publicly prominent father was going through the admissions process at an independent school. This was a person whose public beliefs would suggest that he should have been a champion for public education, and the admissions officer asked him why he was looking at an independent school. He responded that the local public district was going through some turmoil with budget cuts and restructuring and, as much as he believed in public education, his child was “not an experiment.”
There was quite a bit of energy in the media around which independent school the President-elect’s family would choose, and some rather pointed digs at the independent school parent culture of Washington D.C. However, I was struck by the fact that there was very little public discourse about whether the Obamas should be selecting an independent school at all, or if they should be investigating the D.C. public schools for their daughters. (To be fair, there is a lot of energy around this topic in the “blogosphere”.)
When President Clinton was making a similar decision in the mid-90s, he sought out the advice of Al Shanker, the legendary president of the United Federation of Teachers, to see how choosing an independent school would play politically. My understanding of Mr. Shanker’s response was that he counseled the Clinton’s to choose a school that would best serve Chelsea’s needs and forget about the politics of the situation. They wound up choosing Sidwell Friends, the same school where the Obama girls will begin in January.
President-elect Obama’s choice was most likely less fraught with political meaning given the fact that he is a product of the Punaho School and his daughters are currently enrolled in the Chicago Lab School, both independent schools. It is also worth mentioning that John McCain is also a product of an independent school (The Episcopal School) as is President Bush (Kinkaid & Philips Academy). Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush sent their children to independent or private schools as well.
As the head of an independent school, I am attuned to the fact that our graduates tend to be disproportionately represented in the top tiers of leadership of our nation’s public and private institutions. Arguably, this fact has as much to do with the demographics of the families that choose an independent school as it does with the education that we provide. This said, I also have some sense that part of my job is to acknowledge a sense of noblesse oblige and to help our students become people of integrity, given the positions that they will occupy later in life.
As a citizen and a proud product of public schools, I long ago made an uneasy pact with myself regarding my choice to work in independent schools. Quite simply, the way we “do school” offers the fewest constraints and offers me the greatest freedom to be an effective educator. I hasten to add that there are many talented public educators who are very effective despite the constraints in which they work – I simply did not feel I was cut out to “do battle” on a daily basis.
Last year I sent my daughter to public school for kindergarten rather than my school, partly because I espouse a belief in public education. Unfortunately, when I compared and contrasted the education that she was receiving with what she could have had at Brimmer and May, I found my beliefs as a citizen were in tension with my concerns as a parent. She is now enrolled at The Park School as a first grader, and I am much less conflicted about my choice.
Which reminds me of a story. Years ago a publicly prominent father was going through the admissions process at an independent school. This was a person whose public beliefs would suggest that he should have been a champion for public education, and the admissions officer asked him why he was looking at an independent school. He responded that the local public district was going through some turmoil with budget cuts and restructuring and, as much as he believed in public education, his child was “not an experiment.”
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thanksgiving at Park
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving Feast and Assembly at Park. Below I have posted the text of my Thanksgiving remarks. More importantly, students throughout the school gathered food for those less fortunate including 500 pounds of canned goods for the City Mission and a full thanksgiving meal for the clients of Compass House.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PEALING POTATOES AND MAKING STUFFING FOR THE THANKSGIVING MEALS DONATED TO COMPASS HOUSE
---
Thanksgiving 2008
Thanksgiving is both a time for personal reflection and a communal opportunity. As a shared holiday, the day has a complex history that should be examined from multiple perspectives. In its earliest origins it can be seen as an extension of traditional native celebrations of thanksgiving to the Creator; and it can be seen as a treaty celebrated between Wampanoags and pilgrims who were thankful for the sustaining knowledge that they had received; and, regrettably, it can be seen as a historical inflection point that marks the beginning of the demise of indigenous peoples and the rise of the Europeans who supplanted them.
Later in our national history, the day of Thanksgiving provided our forbearers an opportunity to focus on all that they held in common as a people. President Lincoln used this to great effect during the Civil War, elevating the day to a national holiday and calling on a fractured nation to pause, reflect, and hold itself together in the eyes of the rest of the world. In 1939, during the Great Depression, President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week to provide a longer period of holiday shopping in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
I am sure the older folks in the room can appreciate the parallels between these points in our history and today, and I want to close this assembly with an excerpt from a poem called "The Volunteer's Thanksgiving," written by Lucy Larcom in the 19th century. The poem describes a young Union soldier during the Civil War, not much older than some of us in the room, who is celebrating his Thanksgiving on a Southern battlefield, and is very much missing his family in the North.
If you close your eyes you might be able to imagine him thinking about his far away family, as he sit in a strange land…
They 're sitting at the table this clear Thanksgiving noon;
I smell the crispy turkey, the pies will come in soon,--
The golden squares of pumpkin, the flaky rounds of mince,
Behind the barberry syrups, the cranberry and the quince.
Be sure my mouth does water,--but then I am content
To stay and do the errand on which I have been sent.
A soldier must n't grumble at salt beef and hard-tack:
We 'll have a grand Thanksgiving if ever we get back!
I 'm very sure they 'll miss me at dinner-time to-day,
For I was good at stowing their provender away.
When mother clears the table, and wipes the platters bright,
She 'll say, "I hope my baby don't lose his appetite!"
O dear! the air grows sultry: I 'd wish myself at home
Were it a whit less noble, the cause for which I 've come.
Four years ago a school-boy; as foolish now as then!
But greatly they don't differ, I fancy,--boys and men.
I 'm just nineteen to-morrow, and I shall surely stay
For Freedom's final battle, be it until I 'm gray,
Unless a Southern bullet should take me off my feet.--
There 's nothing left to live for, if Rebeldom should beat;
For home and love and honor and freedom are at stake,
And life may well be given for our dear Union's sake;
So reads the Proclamation, and so the sermon ran;
Do ministers and people feel it as soldiers can?
When will it all be ended? 'T is not in youth to hold
In quietness and patience, like people grave and old:
A year? three? four? or seven?--O then, when I return,
Put on a big log, mother, and let it blaze and burn,
And roast your fattest turkey, bake all the pies you can,
And, if she is n't married, invite in Mary Ann!
Hang flags from every window! we 'll all be glad and gay,
For Peace will light the country on that Thanksgiving Day.
Soon after this was written, peace did indeed return to the country, and I wish us all this same peace as we leave today to enjoy our family celebrations.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
---
Thanksgiving 2008
Thanksgiving is both a time for personal reflection and a communal opportunity. As a shared holiday, the day has a complex history that should be examined from multiple perspectives. In its earliest origins it can be seen as an extension of traditional native celebrations of thanksgiving to the Creator; and it can be seen as a treaty celebrated between Wampanoags and pilgrims who were thankful for the sustaining knowledge that they had received; and, regrettably, it can be seen as a historical inflection point that marks the beginning of the demise of indigenous peoples and the rise of the Europeans who supplanted them.
Later in our national history, the day of Thanksgiving provided our forbearers an opportunity to focus on all that they held in common as a people. President Lincoln used this to great effect during the Civil War, elevating the day to a national holiday and calling on a fractured nation to pause, reflect, and hold itself together in the eyes of the rest of the world. In 1939, during the Great Depression, President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week to provide a longer period of holiday shopping in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
I am sure the older folks in the room can appreciate the parallels between these points in our history and today, and I want to close this assembly with an excerpt from a poem called "The Volunteer's Thanksgiving," written by Lucy Larcom in the 19th century. The poem describes a young Union soldier during the Civil War, not much older than some of us in the room, who is celebrating his Thanksgiving on a Southern battlefield, and is very much missing his family in the North.
If you close your eyes you might be able to imagine him thinking about his far away family, as he sit in a strange land…
They 're sitting at the table this clear Thanksgiving noon;
I smell the crispy turkey, the pies will come in soon,--
The golden squares of pumpkin, the flaky rounds of mince,
Behind the barberry syrups, the cranberry and the quince.
Be sure my mouth does water,--but then I am content
To stay and do the errand on which I have been sent.
A soldier must n't grumble at salt beef and hard-tack:
We 'll have a grand Thanksgiving if ever we get back!
I 'm very sure they 'll miss me at dinner-time to-day,
For I was good at stowing their provender away.
When mother clears the table, and wipes the platters bright,
She 'll say, "I hope my baby don't lose his appetite!"
O dear! the air grows sultry: I 'd wish myself at home
Were it a whit less noble, the cause for which I 've come.
Four years ago a school-boy; as foolish now as then!
But greatly they don't differ, I fancy,--boys and men.
I 'm just nineteen to-morrow, and I shall surely stay
For Freedom's final battle, be it until I 'm gray,
Unless a Southern bullet should take me off my feet.--
There 's nothing left to live for, if Rebeldom should beat;
For home and love and honor and freedom are at stake,
And life may well be given for our dear Union's sake;
So reads the Proclamation, and so the sermon ran;
Do ministers and people feel it as soldiers can?
When will it all be ended? 'T is not in youth to hold
In quietness and patience, like people grave and old:
A year? three? four? or seven?--O then, when I return,
Put on a big log, mother, and let it blaze and burn,
And roast your fattest turkey, bake all the pies you can,
And, if she is n't married, invite in Mary Ann!
Hang flags from every window! we 'll all be glad and gay,
For Peace will light the country on that Thanksgiving Day.
Soon after this was written, peace did indeed return to the country, and I wish us all this same peace as we leave today to enjoy our family celebrations.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
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