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.

Reflections on Thanksgiving

My world looks like this:

Not this:

Clearly, I have much for which to be thankful.

As Thanksgiving arrives I cannot not be thankful. My world brings me joy. But I also believe that I have a responsibility to be aware of and to be part of the larger world that I live in. I cannot ignore the ugly and challenging parts of the world even though my particular part of the world is stable, happy, beautiful.

How can I be thankful yet know that many in the world suffer?

I believe I have twin responsibilities. I can appreciate my world. The beauty. The friends. The conveniences. The opportunities.

But I must also find ways to help. Volunteer. Give. Learn. Make a difference.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the complicated and tangled world that I find myself trying to navigate through, hoping that I can find ways to make the world better for those close to me and those whom I do not know.

Selfless acts

For me, it's hard to know why people do what they do. Some are motivated by fear. Some people are angry. Some people lash out because they feel threatened. Some people want to put others down so they can feel important. Some people want to save the world and they believe they are the only ones who can do it.

But then there are the people who are selfless - who act, it seems, purely for others.

These are the people that I really don't understand!

I was with some of those people for the past four days. Twenty-seven Novi Community School District staff plus the City of Novi Chief of Police served as chaperones for 324 Novi Middle School 8th graders on the annual trip to Washington DC. (I apologize in advance that I don't have pictures of all of the chaperones.)

As I sat on a bus surrounded by 8th-grade students I could look around and see three other adult chaperones. There were six other buses in exactly the same position - almost fifty students, four adult chaperones. Each chaperone was responsible for a group of twelve students.

Twelve 8th grade students. Twelve students who exhibit the highs and lows of being in 8th grade. These students were awkward at times - physically, emotionally, intellectually. These students were compassionate at times - to each other, to the chaperones, to our guide and driver. These students were curious at times - about the city, about each other, about history.

Twelve 8th grade students. Sometimes these students would not be quiet - especially at 3:00 AM when all you wanted to do was catch a few short minutes of sleep on the bus. Sometimes these students would express thankfulness with just the right words or the right action. Sometimes these students would be silly at the wrong moment and follow that up with a pitch-perfect sense of solemnity called for in that moment.

They are 8th graders!

And through it all, there was a group of chaperones who showed patience and concern and care. This group of chaperones held the reins tight when needed and let the students run when that was appropriate. This group of chaperones used moments to teach life lessons but never became "preachy."

These chaperones focus was on making sure that this group of 324 8th grade students had the time of their lives. The chaperones traveled all night with these 8th graders - down to Washington DC and back. This group of chaperones ate every meal for three full days with 8th graders. These chaperones woke up early so that they could be on time to wake up these 8th graders. This group of chaperones spent almost every waking hour for three straight days with 324 8th graders.

Why?

Because these chaperones care for these children who are not their own. These chaperones want the best for these students.

Why do people do what they do?

It is a mystery.

What I know is that I am grateful for adults in our school district and community who care for kids.