Make Your Mission Real - Live It!

Getting back to the school effects research, creating and sustaining a climate, a culture of high expectations for success is but a first step in our work to ensure each learner meets or exceeds school, district, state, national or international standards let alone a parents best hopes for their child.

A key finding by the researchers was that no one factor or correlate independent of the others could make the enduring difference to achieve "learning for all." Rather, it was the interdependency as well as interaction of the correlates that resulted in the constant, consistent, and latitudinal effect and impact.

In my experience as a school and school system leader, I found that the climate of high expectations for success allowed me to confront individual as well as collective values. I could honestly and candidly, ask, “Which of our students are not worthy of our very best?

Though it is and continues to be politically incorrect to answer the aforementioned question with anything less than – “they are all worthy of our best”. However, in many cases, behaviors and words don’t align. In fact, I recall hearing a high school student tell me when I was on campus one, “I can’t hear the words of the adults here because their behaviors are so loud”.

Certainly a topic for another day –

The school effects researchers were careful when asked to rank order in terms of import and utility the correlates. I have personally heard several times the story told by Dr. Larry Lezotte of a conversation between himself and Dr. Ron Edmonds about which correlate or factor was the most important. Without divulging their response, I offer what Dr. Lezotte told me, “The question of which correlate is most important actually serves to begin a much greater discussion, conversation about equity, purpose, commitment, values, and behaviors”.

Consider the correlate, “Clear and Focused Mission”. The school effects researchers found that schools and school systems that consistently and constantly our performed their demographics enjoyed a shared understanding and commitment to “why” they were engaged in this work as well as a deep and profound awareness and understanding of their responsibility to each learner – not just those historically successful – but “all” and “each” learner irrespective of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, or etc.

I am reminded of all the time, energy and resources expended on creating lofty mission statements that no one in the organization could really explain – they look nice, sound great, but ...

As a superintendent, I often visited schools with mission statements prominently placed and would ask principals, teachers, and students to explain the schools' mission. I would challenge them to tell me in three (3) words or less their mission statement reasoning that most statements are too long and therefore lose meaning, utility, and import - though well intended.

This provocative question posed to me by Dr. Lezotte many years ago still resonates today –

“If you were accused of ‘living’ your mission, what evidence would be presented to convict you of such an accusation?”

Every school, school system, business, and company has a mission statement.

How many live their mission? How many are mission driven?

“Mission driven” akin to Rick Warren’s work “The Purpose Driven Life” is predicated on clarity, commitment, and congruency. It’s not the words that matter but rather our behaviors and actions.

Some educators get really nervous when asked such questions about mission and purpose especially when it is personalized. Unfortunately, the lack of keeping and proactively answering for a personal commitment to a mission inclusive of all learners is in part, why we have failed to achieve the best hopes of, for, and by an education.

The school effects researchers found in their findings a collective commitment to the proposition that each and every learner was not only worthy in words but deserving of the behaviors, decisions, and intentional actions of educators to do whatever it takes to ensure their success.

Mission statements are powerful and this is as it should be. The real power, however are in the behaviors that bring to life the thoughtful, intentional words. It should be of little surprise then that a clear and focused mission would correlate with student learning and achievement. Live the mission!