Balance

Public education, like almost everything in life, is about balance.  I was reminded of that this past week when I had a conversation with a family concerned about the pace and expectations of our educational system.  As we head into the holiday season, it is a good time to remember that life is about balance.  Do we need to lower expectations for ourselves or our students – absolutely not….. but we need to consider our desire for an appropriate balance?   The philosophy driving American public education during the last several years is that we are “falling behind” and that our economy depends on our ability to score well on everything from the MEAP to the ACT.  While we can all agree we (students/staff/families) need to work hard to do our collective best – we also need balance.

This coming week is a short school week as we celebrate Thanksgiving – take the time to remember what you are thankful for and enjoy the time with family and friends.

Remember the quote from the Greek poet Euripides,

The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.