Win the championship? Not a priority

In schools we love to measure things. Grades. Attendance. Test scores.  GPAs. Class rank. Graduation rate. SAT scores. 

In Michigan we have created a Top-to-Bottom Ranking that, using state test scores, assigns a rank to every school in Michigan. Schools in the bottom five percent in this ranking could be considered for state sanctions up to and including closure.

With all this focus on measuring, clearly, test performance has become a big deal.

But should it be?

I ask this question because I recently came across a question and answer session between Gregg Popovich, Cornel West, and students at Sam Houston High School in Texas.

Cornel West and Gregg Popovich answering questions from San Houston High School students.

As a professional basketball coach Gregg Popovich works in a high stress environment. As a coach he has led his team to five NBA championships. He not only understand the importance of winning, he is a winner.

But when asked if he was going to win another championship, Popovich gave a rather interesting answer. 

“Win the championship? I don’t know, but it’s not a priority in my life. I’d be much happier if I knew that my players were going to make society better, who had good families and who took care of the people around them. I’d get more satisfaction out of that than a title. I would love to win another championship, and we’ll work our butts off to try and do that. But we have to want more than success in our jobs. That’s why we’re here. We’re here so you’ll understand that you can overcome obstacles by being prepared and if you educate the hell out of yourself. If you become respectful, disciplined people in this world, you can fight anything. If you join with each other and you believe in yourself and each other, that’s what matters. That’s what we want to relay to you all: that we believe that about you or we wouldn’t be here.”

Teams are judged by their wins and losses. Coaches are hired and fired based on their wins and losses. So clearly wins and losses are important.

But there is something more important than wins and losses. At least according to Gregg Popovich. Making society better. Creating good families. Taking care of the people around you. Those things are more important than wins and losses.

Schools are in the same boat. At some level I am judged by how well our students perform. What are their M-STEP scores? How many are accepted to the college of their choice? What are students SAT scores? What is our graduation rate?

Ultimately I will either keep my job or be fired if those "scores" are not good enough.

But the real outcomes, the results that matter the most, cannot be measured in one score, one test result, one number that is published in the paper.

The most important outcomes for a school district, for my school district, focus on creating a district that prepares our students to make society better, helping students learn to take care of the people around them, focusing on the skills needed to build good, strong families.

To be clear, I believe that educating our students can help create students who will make society better. That is why we spend time building a strong curriculum, preparing our teachers to work with our diverse student population, building good facilities, and providing up-to-date technology.

To also be clear, just because a person has high test scores does not mean that they will make society better, care for the people around them, or build good, strong families. That's why we also invest in programs like the Leader in Me, anti-bullying programs, teaching our staff how to manage conflict, providing extra-curricular clubs and sports.

I believe our district builds people who can contribute to our society. High test scores? Important, but not the priority.