Now What ? Growing from Struggle and Rebuilding Trust timeless future tried and true roots mission innovation growth improvement
By Mark Davis St . Luke ’ s School • New Canaan , CT
For most school leaders , the 2020-2021 school year was the most challenging of a career , weighted down by fear and uncertainty in ourselves and colleagues , anger and distrust in the broader community , and a determination — more grim than inspiring — to persist , if not thrive , in the face of it all . As the pandemic recedes , the impulse to simply turn the page — to “ return to normal ”— feels almost irresistible . We long for the halcyon school days before COVID — maskless , undistanced , safe — when students and teachers gathered in idyllic bliss for outstanding academics , enriching co-curriculars , and delectable , nourishing lunches . Wait ... what ? What does it mean to return to normal ? And is that even the right way to think about it ? In fact , the right question —“ Now what ?”— should make us ask much more of ourselves ... and address much better questions . These include :
Page 8 Fall 2021 CSEE Connections