Schools are uniquely human institutions, more familial than corporate. As with all families, they are subject to life rhythms and emotionality. We all pour ourselves, heart and soul, into the experience, and we get tired. Novembers are often "dog days". For children, parents, and educators, the frenetic months from August to Thanksgiving, filled with all those homework assignments, group projects, birthday parties, athletic practices, rehearsals, and myriad other obligations, leave us all hungering for a break, for a disruption.
If this were a normal November, I suppose I would stop here. But this is no normal November, and certainly no normal year. I cannot remember a time of greater mass uncertainty, save for the months surrounding 9-11, in my lifetime. Our local and national election cycle has been, in a word, brutal, shattering norms and drudging up those demons we hoped were no more than an artifact of our past. A withering and prolonged downturn in our economy affects us all in some measure. Promesa looms, with no clear sense of either the trajectory of its future course of action, its timetable, or broad affect. With elections mercifully upon us Tuesday, there is less a spirit of excitement than a palpable mood of "get on with it already". We are all just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's the unknowing that is so very hard.
In such a climate, when the sands shift constantly beneath our feet, uncertainty can exact a heavy emotional and mental toll. It is precisely in these moments that we should take stock of our lives, and double down on the things that really matter. We must also resist the temptation to react, to succumb to anxiety, to be drawn to stress or despair or disillusionment. Problems are made to be solved. Simply because we have not yet identified a solution to a problem does not preclude the existence of a preferable outcome. In these moments we must take our time, rather than rush to fit square pegs in round holes, or worse, engage in avoidance behaviors. The weathered and wily sea captain knows you turn into the wave to overcome it, full steam ahead. One cannot outrun forces of nature, but you can certainly learn to surf.
As for Baldwin, yes, we have been in a change process for years now. I imagine with so much uncertainty elsewhere in your lives, you are ready for all this to be settled. In the next few months we will be fully authorized in all three of our programs. Our exit interviews with the MYP and DP visiting teams leave us fully confident of these outcomes. And we did our homework, lots of it, and worked hard not only to meet, but far exceed the expectations of the International Baccalaureate Organization. We are seeing the impact in our classrooms in measurable ways. Our students are shifting. We have the best educated, most talented, most professional faculty in the history of the school, and arguably the best in Puerto Rico (I admit my bias!). If you are still unclear about IB or anything, come see us. You are always welcome, and we are excited to give you the time you need to understand.
Nor are we done. We never will be. We are not sitting on our laurels, planning the next press release. We are working to improve all aspects of our programs, from pedagogy, to assessment practices, to communication, to counseling, to test outcomes and college placement. We are doing these things right now, working to ensure your children have every advantage in their education. We will leave no stone unturned. In a world with so little certainty, be certain that we are fully committed to best outcomes for you and your family.
Perhaps the best prescription in our current predicament is to follow the sage advice of our elders, and breathe. The sun will rise. Life will go on. We'll figure it out. We just have to stay our course.
See you around campus.