The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, Massachusetts form a regional school system where the two towns each fund their own K-8 programs and then jointly finance the cost of Algonquin Regional High School. Imagine the possibilities for conflicts of interest as each town provides public education at taxpayer expense. During my tenure there as Director of Technology there were ongoing complex challenges working jointly with the two municipalities. The binding golden rule that keeps this excellent school system moving forward is championed by its excellent Superintendent, Dr. Charles Gobron, “We’re all in this together!”
Whether the district leadership team is working across the budgets of the two towns or aligning curriculum and instruction K-12, Dr. Gobron’s credo helps to keep the team vision on unity and common ground. Yes people tend to protect their own turf. Of course there are pedagogical disagreements. Like on any leadership team, there are personalities and agendas that do not always mix well. But through it all, the focus always comes back to what is best for the common good…the children.
This is not easily attained. You may know the challenges of fostering a culture of collegiality and cooperation in a school division housed within a single municipality. Multiply that by two and then factor in the intricacies of bringing everyone together to agree on the administration of a regional high school and you have some sense of the challenges inherent in a regional school system. The remarkable thing is that they make it work. So, if Dr. Gobron and his team can come together for the best interests of children in both towns, what is keeping the rest of us from finding that kind of consensus and success in our spheres of influence?
Public education has become a fractious, contentious profession, rife with special interest groups, political factions and philosophical camps. Our greatest challenge today is to first find common ground for the dialogue we need to have…a common agreement on how and why we are all invested in public education. Surely if you peel away all the layers of contention, at the core we all became involved in public education to help children grow, learn and prepare for their future. Does anyone disagree? If so, please push yourself away from the table now. Because I sincerely believe we have a majority of stakeholders who make children their priority.
OK, so now that everyone still reading agrees on why we are here, let’s apply Dr. Gobron’s mantra: “We’re all in this together.” How’s that feel? Yes I know it doesn’t ring completely true. We’ve all been burned by individuals who put their self-interest ahead of the children. But that having been said, can you move past those experiences for the common good…for the good of children? Because if we can all agree to do that, it won’t matter where we sit at the table or which children we serve, we will all be able to agree on fundamental decisions that need to be made in moving public education forward.
As a common framework for making this happen, I want to take this thinking a step further and offer ASCD’s Whole Child initiative as a map for moving forward together. Consider the tenets of this important program:
- Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.
- Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.
- Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.
- Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.
- Each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.
As stated on the Whole Child website, “Every school, community, classroom, educator, student, and family has unique challenges and strengths, and has a role to play in ensuring that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Collectively we have the knowledge, skill, and ability to meet these challenges and share these strengths. Join us and our whole child partners as we change the conversation about education and move from a vision for educating the whole child to action that results in successful, well-rounded young people.”
So, if you agree that “we’re all in this together,” what are we waiting for? Let’s take the example given to us by the outstanding educators of the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, Massachusetts and take it global. We know what works. We know how to get it done. Join us in making a difference for children everywhere. Join us in supporting the Whole Child!
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