Excellence as a Means, not an End

Two months ago a distinguished group of eleven educators from independent schools around New England spent three days on the Rivers campus sitting in on classes and interviewing students, teachers, and parents.  Their visit was part of the accreditation process for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.  The group included the Head of Greenwich Academy, the Head of Milton Academy, and educators from Concord Academy, Hotchkiss, Thayer, and Brunswick Academy. Their final report confirmed what we already know  ̶  Rivers lives its mission.

I wanted to share three excerpts from the visiting committee report because I think they capture the essence of Rivers.

 “Rivers students exemplify the motto “Excellence with Humanity.” Witnessing the dynamics, the casual moments captured as one moves through the campus buildings, the committee saw the warmth of relationships and care and pride of the student body.  From doors held for those who walk behind, the smile and the pat on the back after a brave sixth grader shares herself with the school community, and the willingness to speak up and take a stab at a hard question in class, Rivers students show their embodiment of the values of the school.”

And from another section of the visiting committee report:

“Constituents articulate the mission of the school in deeply personal ways, indicating a strong buy-in to the core values of the school. Students readily articulate their investment in their experience, including ways they have grown in character.  Faculty members are committed to their mission as educators and role models and routinely go above and beyond the parameters of their job descriptions when it serves the interests of their students… the Rivers faculty have distinguished itself not only for professionalism, knowledge, and teaching skill, but also for a collaborative and humane spirit that pervades this school.

“Students and teachers alike spoke with a sense of belonging to a stimulating academic culture, one in which learning is championed even while students are pulled toward extracurricular specialization.  Rivers has not forgotten that the primary academic business of a school is the conversation between teacher and student… In addition to respect, there’s great affection on both sides, too.  Students lavished praise on their teachers.  And teachers did likewise.” 

And finally from another section of the report:

“Faculty feel supported, motivated, and encouraged to teach their passions and to pursue various teaching strategies.  Faculty at Rivers are happy and engaged; they exude a loyalty and admiration for their school, their colleagues, and their students.  Their love of Rives is palpable.”

These excerpts point so clearly to the reason Rivers exists… the why of the school and that is to help students live meaningful lives, lives filled with purpose.

The why of most independent schools is excellence. These schools teach students how to compete, how to win, how to work harder and smarter in this competitive world. For these schools, demonstrated excellence is an end. A graduate of a highly regarded school in the area once told me that he always felt that the question being asked of him while he was a student there was “What are you doing to enhance the reputation of the school?” 

Make no mistake, Rivers teaches students how to be successful, how to work hard, how to compete; we can point to lots of markers of success to demonstrate that excellence is a critical value. Seniors accepted to highly selective colleges, 5’s and 4’s on the AP exams, art and music prizes, athletic championships, awards in Robotics, Model UN, and Debate. We are proud of these achievements.

But these accomplishments are not why Rivers exists.  They are not what fundamentally inspire us to go the extra mile for our students.

Rivers exists for one simple reason  ̶  to help students live meaningful lives, now and in the future. At Rivers excellence is a means, not an end.  We don’t challenge our students for the sole purpose of demonstrating that we have excellence.  We challenge them so that they can learn about themselves, so that they can discover what they are good at, what they love, what they need to work on.  We challenge them so that they can discover who they are and who they want to be.  We challenge them so that they can live lives that matter.

And here’s the kicker. The best way to help students live meaningful lives is to make sure that teachers are living meaningful lives, to make sure that the reason our teachers got into this business in the first place  ̶  to make a positive difference in kids’ lives  ̶  never dies out, that their life purpose is not only valued but constantly nurtured. “Faculty at Rivers are happy and engaged.” That statement from the Visiting Accreditation Committee reflects the school’s belief that people should live meaningful lives. That is why Rivers exists.

 

Sorting Machines

Several years ago the Director of College Counseling and I met with a senior admissions officer at an Ivy League school.  At one point in the conversation she said, “If you want more Ivies on your college list, admit more talent.”  I don’t think I will ever forget that statement.  I understand what she was saying, and I certainly see the validity of her point.  But implicit in this statement is a rather cynical attitude about the value of teaching. 

It’s subtle, I admit, but still, unmistakable – don’t expect your teachers to do more than sort the wheat from the chaff. Insist that teachers throw out the challenges to the kids, and the school will eventually be able to separate the great students from the merely good ones, the athletes who will play in college from the others, and the great musicians from the rest. The role of the teacher is simply to challenge - challenge to the nth degree so that the school can properly sort the students in ways that make it easy for selective colleges to render admission decisions. 

OK, I admit that the above is only a partial truth, but that’s what happens when a school, almost unknowingly, acts as if its sorting function is the most important value.   There are lots of schools - private and public - that would never admit to this uncomfortable truth, but they exist.  Having teachers who inspire, teachers who care, teachers who make a difference, teachers who value students and search for their talents, takes a back seat to the sorting function.  Many of these “sorting” schools veil their ultimate goal with lots of talk about close student-teacher relationships, and there is probably enough truth in these statements to make prospective students and parents feel good about their choice.  But make no mistake; the highest value in the hierarchy of values at these schools is to sort. 

I love teachers and their power to make a difference in so many wonderful ways.  Even as I moved into administration, I was always in awe of the impact teachers had on the lives of students.  I was, to be honest, jealous of these great teachers even in my role as their supervisor.  To become a mere ‘sorting machine” is to denigrate this great profession and limit a school’s ability to value the multi-dimensional glory of each of its students.  May this never happen at Rivers!

Letter from Chair of Visiting Accreditation Committee

Last month a team of eleven outside educators from some of the top schools in New England (including three from ISL schools) spent three days on the Rivers’ campus - sitting in on classes, talking to students, teachers, administrators, trustees, alumni, and parents, examining programs, reading critical documents - all for the purpose of validating the self-study Rivers had completed the year before.  The committee left as “huge fans” of the school.  Below is the letter Molly King, the chair of the committee, wrote to the Rivers community, followed by the list of visiting committee members:

November 6, 2013      

Dear Rivers Community,

The past few days have been a remarkable example of who you are as a community. From the moment the Visiting Committee stepped on campus last Sunday, we were warmly welcomed by all---students, faculty, staff, trustees, administrators and parents. 

- Students: Your spirit is infectious. From tours, class discussions, practices and games, announcements, speeches and musical performances, all of us left Rivers not only in awe of your talents, but also of your connection to your school, to your teachers and to each other. You seek to make a positive difference and you do. Keep up the great work. 

- Faculty: We are mightily impressed. Your expertise in your subject areas is matched only by your total commitment to the wellbeing of your students. They notice. Every Visiting Committee member heard stories from students about what a difference you are making to their lives. Excellence with Humanity. Your motto. There it is. 

- Administration and Staff: Talk about a can-do attitude! You collaborate at every turn, whether it's making an event happen (like hosting us), covering for each other in a time of need without regard for self, supporting families in need or finding innovative solutions to challenges big and small, you are all in for Rivers. 

- Trustees, alumni and parents: From dinner together on Sunday night to meetings in Willis House, your thoughtful reflections upon and affection for Rivers were the signature aspects of our conversations. All of you go above and beyond to share your talents and your generosity with Rivers and particularly looking at the exponential increase in your engagement over the last fifteen years, there is much for which you should be proud.

And to Tom Olverson, who is probably tempted to delete any words of praise from us, please know how much the entire Visiting Committee respects your leadership and profound affection for Rivers---both of which have had a transformative effect on this wonderful school during your tenure. 

On behalf of all of us who have had the privilege of serving on the Rivers Visiting Committee, thank you to all and know that you have eleven huge fans sprinkled across the landscape of New England schools.

Warmly,

Molly King
Chair, NEASC Visiting Committee
Head of School, Greenwich Academy

NEASC Visiting Committee Members

Molly King, Chair
Head of School
Greenwich Academy
Greenwich, CT

Theodorick B. Bland, Assistant Chair

Head of School
Milton Academy
Milton, MA

William Clapp

Mathematics Department Chair
Berwick Academy
South Berwick, ME

J. Bradley Faus

Instructor in Art
The Hotchkiss School
Lakeville, CT

Heather Flewelling

Director of Multiculturalism & Community Development
Milton Academy
Milton, MA

Tucker Hastings

Junior Class Dean, French Teacher
Brunswick School
Greenwich, CT

Maureen Keleher

Latin Teacher
Thayer Academy
Braintree, MA

Jennifer Kenerson

Mathematics Teacher
Taft School
Watertown, CT

Mark McLaughlin

Associate Head of School
Providence Country Day School
East Providence, RI

David Rost

Dean of Students
Concord Academy
Concord, MA
 

Thomas Sullivan

Head of Upper School
Greenwich Academy
Greenwich, CT

Excellence and quality of experience go hand in hand at Rivers

There are a lot of issues I have with Mark Edmundson’s article “Where Should I Go to College?” – the cynical tone, the thinly disguised objectivity, the simplistic stereotypes, the predisposition to create good guys and bad guys, purity v. impurity – the list goes on.  For Edmundson students are just abstractions to be categorized.  Whatever truth I might think his argument contains, as an educator I refuse to put my students in a box, conveniently label them, and then climb on my high horse of educational purity in the midst of “corporate” slime.”

But as is the case with most arguments that touch a nerve, there is an element of truth in Edmundson’s thesis, and to deny it is equivalent to putting my head in the sand. Education and learning have for many become simply a means to the “good” life, a way to stem the tide of inter-generational downward mobility. Resume-building trumps intellectual curiosity as students feel the pressure to attend the college that will most help them advance their careers.

But the two values – learning for learning’s sake and learning as a means – can be reconciled.  The “good” high school as Edmundson sarcastically refers to it can serve excellence and true learning.  The key component is the value the school places on student quality of experience, students using educational experiences to discover what they love, what they don’t love, what they’re good at, and who they are.  The experience becomes a mechanism for gaining self-knowledge.  I see this happen all the time at Rivers because quality of experience is one of the critical values that defines “Excellence with Humanity.” 

I am the first to agree with Edmundson that too many schools produce “achievement machines.”  But I refuse to dismiss those students who, through experience, have come to realize that they are practical learners, that they want to see how the ideas in the classroom become relevant in the real world. Again, the critical factor is schools focusing on quality of experience as well as excellence, the journey as well as the result.  Please don’t tell me that the two are irreconcilable; they are both on full display at Rivers every day – the really smart kid who loves to bake and is encouraged to start a bakery stand at the local farmer’s market, the kid whose imagination is sparked by an assembly on robots and within a year the school has a robotics club and a computer science program, the kid who finds a talent for acting and is encouraged by her drama teacher to “go for it” and apply to acting schools. Yes, “excellence” can be perverted without the emphasis on quality of experience, but excellence plays a critical role in helping young people discover who they are and what they are good at – a sometimes painful but often ultimately rewarding journey. The key is that the school has to value quality of experience and its necessary sidekick, relationships, so that students know that they are valued beyond what they achieve.

Innovative thinking pays dividends

One of my favorite expressions is “best idea wins.” When I use it at faculty meetings, it’s not to challenge teachers to go beyond the standard syllabus or class activity to try something different in the classroom. I challenge them to really think outside the box, to find new and better ways to teach and mentor our students.

This summer, that spirit of innovation has paid off for two of our teachers who have been recognized outside of our own Rivers community for their groundbreaking ideas. I am so proud that the programs they conceived of and implemented at Rivers have gained the respect of top universities and institutions.

In June, Kate Wade’s RISE program for 10th graders helped earn her a $20,000 fellowship toward her master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. The Gardner Carney Leadership Institute presented her with their first ever cgLi/Penn Fellowship in Pedagogy of Leadership, citing her “outstanding work in building the RISE program at Rivers.”

Shortly after that, Julian Willard, founder and chair of our Interdisciplinary Studies Department, was appointed a research fellow at Yale University's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics as well as a visiting scholar at The Hastings Center, the premier center for bioethics research in this country.

These four institutions are the best of the best in the fields of leadership training and interdisciplinary studies. It’s wonderful that Kate and Julian will have the opportunity to expand their own horizons among like-minded academicians (they’ll both continue teaching at Rivers!).

Kate and Julian are just two of our many teachers who thrive on finding a better way to achieve their goals. Dave Burzillo’s BIG History course was a prototype for the Gates Foundation’s curriculum for teaching history online anywhere in the world. Our 21^st Century Focus Group – Rivers’ think tank – meets regularly to explore what’s new in education and to look for ways to take the best of those ideas and make them work even better at Rivers.

So when I suggest “best idea wins,” I never know what might happen, but I do know it will be exciting to watch it unfold.

How Children Succeed: The Importance of Grit and Character

I just finished reading How Children Succeed by Paul Trough. I was looking forward to the book because its thesis that "grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character" are far more important than natural intelligence in determining achievement reinforces my own deeply-held perspective. I wanted data and hard science to substantiate this perspective. I must say, the first part of the book did not disappoint in this regard. In the first chapter, "How to Fail," Trough provides ample evidence to support the development of grit and curiosity as critical ingredients for success. I’ve always felt that failure is one of the underutilized yet most effective teaching techniques we educators have at our disposal. I especially like the section on "attachment" and close relationships between adults and students as vital elements in students learning how to persist.

In the rest of the book, Trough departs from scientific research and instead provides the reader with narratives about individual teachers, students, and schools. He becomes more of a storyteller as opposed to an expert, possibly because it is easier to chronicle examples than to connect those examples to real research. I felt that the salient points of his book would have made a compelling article. Moreover, he never consolidates his findings (what few there are), and as a result, the reader/educator/parent is left empty-handed. I was looking for the proverbial takeaways, but they never appeared. How disappointing! 

I'm not giving up on grit and determination and character. I still think these qualities are much more important than natural intelligence in shaping a fulfilling life. I agree with Trough that our failing students and schools are in dire need of more of this kind of "performance character." I just wish Trough had provided the proof to make my opinions rock-solid and indisputable. 

How do you feel about these traits? Did they play a role in your education and subsequent path in life?