A few years ago, I spent some time with my grandparents when I was home visiting for the summer. Among other places, they had lived in Morse, Texas, Dalhart, Texas and later, Beaver, Ok. Growing up, one of the things we often talked about was the Dust Bowl. As a child, I remember hearing about how thick the dust was, how it piled high on the side of their house, how their cabinets and floors were completely covered with dirt, how little there was to eat and how difficult it was to raise a crop.
I knew the basic history of the 30's, but I hadn't heard anything specific about the static electricity problems... As I understand it now, dust particles in the air created a powerful electric charge so that metal objects like cars became dangerous to touch. One day, during a particularly awful dust storm, my great grandfather tried to make his way back to his house from the barn a few hundred yards away, but he couldn’t see a thing in front of his face - the house was completely obscured. Lucky for him, he looked to his side and found his way because the barbed wire fence that led to the house was sparkling blue with electricity.
The image of that fence, illuminated – a beacon - highlights important ways I think about family, education, and this school in particular. It helps me remember what’s important, how to keep things in perspective, and it also reminds me of the kinds of things that are important to our students as they begin their own journeys through life and into independence.
For my grandparents, it served as a reminder about how bad they had it then and how important it is to remember what matters most. For me, it’s a way to ‘see’ what they saw, to strengthen our connection and to benefit from their experience. For you, I hope it is an image you keep handy, not only because it’s really interesting, but also because it’s an example of how resourceful people can be in the face of challenging circumstances. My great grandfather acted bravely that day and he had faith that the foundations he had laid in the form of a barbed wire fence would lead him back home to safety and to family.
We’re here to help kids understand where the boundaries are by asking questions that make them think; we want them to know how to use those boundaries in ways that enable them to navigate the confusing and disorienting times that inevitably occur along the way. At times, the challenges our students experience are best met by looking at the world out of the corner of their eyes. Looking straight ahead and focusing only on the ends instead of taking time to find the foundations and focusing on the means to get where you want to go can lead to disorientation, disconnectedness, and disillusionment.
In order to avoid losing our way and establishing a clear direction forward, we must deepen our understanding of and commitment to sustainability. Our commitment to environmental, programmatic, global, and financially sustainable practices will ensure that our school will shore up the foundational frameworks already so strongly in place here at Casady. Committing to these practices will ensure our ability meet the needs of our students now and far into the future. Specifically speaking, we must adopt and commit to practices that are good for our planet and model responsible life choices for our students; we must develop our program and curriculum in such a way as to be reflective of the values of the school beyond the particular needs and desires of individuals; we must understand global realities that shape developments in politics, education, and economics and educate our students to understand these realities as well; and, we must keep our school on solid, predictable financial footing to ensure the long-term health of the school and our ability to plan thoughtfully for our future.
This is a section of a piece I wrote a couple of years ago. I was reminded of it today and thought it was worth posting here. Hope all is well!
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