9-25-2015

Mary’s Minute

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

~ Marian Wright Edelman

Perry Central was born because a group of caring citizens believed in the power of education.  Perry Central was created because of the hard work and determination of Perry County residents who came together over fifty years ago, believing that our children deserve the very best possible education.  Many students were still using outhouses before the consolidated Perry Central campus opened in 1966, with schools spread across central and northern Perry County.  It is this spirit of hard work, determination, and pride that makes Perry Central what it is today.  Our roots are solid and steeped in optimism.  It is very fitting that our school corporation is called Perry Central Community School Corporation.  It is the sense of community that makes us who we are, and that is directly linked to the diligent individuals who believed in our students.  Our job now is to uphold the high standards that began over fifty years ago, and to continue to nurture an educational culture that will be part of a solid foundation in another fifty years.  The link to this video is a brief representation of what this sense of community means to us:   http://www.pccs.k12.in.us/2015-commercial.html  We extend our sincere thanks to those who came before us.  We understand the awesome responsibility we have to uphold the strong ideals upon which Perry Central Community School Corporation is built.  It is a huge charge, but also an exciting one! 

Have a great week!

Mary

9-18-2015

Mary’s Minute

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

~Peter Drucker

The difference between leadership and management was a common theme in nearly every administrative class I took for my superintendent’s license.  It is true that organizations need managers to make sure things run smoothly.  This is where knowledge of policy, procedures, and budgets come in handy.  Many elements of working with people also fall under the management umbrella.  The important element in operating an organization is leadership.  At Perry Central we strive to do things right, but as Drucker points out we believe that we must do the right things.  We are fortunate to have a school board that leads with the goal of doing the right things.  Speaking for myself, I know that I make mistakes, but my quest is to treat people fairly and do the right things for our students, employees, and community.  Leadership, like everything we do, falls back to our core beliefs, so when we believe that kindness matters that effects how we treat people and run our organization.  In education there is a rule of thumb to make decisions that are best for kids, and at Perry Central we take it a step further striving to do what is best for kids and also the right thing.  Again, I know that I fail, but I will continue to strive to do the right things because that is the true essence of leadership and the heart of Perry Central.

Have a great week!

Mary

 

9-11-2015

Mary’s Minute

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.”

~ Dalai Lama

 “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”

~ Albert Schweitzer

When we ponder the “meaning of life” it can translate to a deep philosophical discussion or a fun conversation to lighten the mood.  The truth is at some point we all ponder the question, and from an educational standpoint we take it a step further to ponder the purpose of education.  Just as philosophers spend countless hours contemplating the query, educators focus many strategic planning sessions on the same basic inquiry. 

I think being happy is pretty important, so the Dalai Lama’s simple quote has great meaning to me, but I have long believed that we have an obligation to make the world a better place.  The great thing is that the two viewpoints go hand and hand since the key to being happy is serving others and being compassionate.  Finding happiness is sometimes allusive, and moments of happiness may occur in more selfish ways but true happiness comes through living a life of service to others.

How does all of this translate to education?  One of my favorite quotes about the purpose of education comes from my mentor, Jerry Harste, “Education is a metaphor for the kind of lives we want our students to lead.”  Using Jerry’s definition, if we figure out the purpose of life, we also have figured out the purpose of education.  Our focus is obviously learning, but at a deeper level it is about finding joy in learning and serving other through what we learn.

I love to think about “deep” questions – I think it helps us to realize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, and also to not take ourselves too seriously.  Education and life are complicated endeavors.  Reflection and conversation around our mission in life and our vision for education are important, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best.  What kind of people do we want to be? 

                                                                                Have a great week!

                                                                                Mary

9-4-2015

Mary’s Minute

 

“There is no substitute for hard work.”                                          
                                                  ~ Thomas A. Edison

 

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”                                                                                        
                                                    ~ Colin Powell

There are many successful people who attest to the value of hard work being a strong contributor.  I certainly am a person who believes in the value of hard work, but one thing that is not talked about as often is what “work” really means.  I believe that too often “work” is viewed as a something we must do to get to where we want to go.  It seems like too often work is viewed as a drudgery to achieve something else – money, success, or a chance to rest.  Work is not just good because it gets us where we want to go, but it is good in its own right.  There is the element of enjoying work because it gives us a sense of accomplishment, but I also strive to see the joy in work itself.  It is true that there are times we must work when we are weary or have a task that is not enjoyable, but my goal is to not see work as a four letter word.  I think that I am lucky that my parents taught me to see work as a good thing.  Both of my parents were educators, but they were also always busy working on the side, and they enjoyed it.  We spend so much of our life in a job, so I believe it is important to find joy in the work we do.  My mom, who turns 76 today (Happy Birthday, Mom!) works physically harder today than most people half her age, and she loves it.  She also has a positive attitude about life in general, and she has never viewed work as simply something you do to get somewhere else.  She takes pride in what hard work can achieve, but she also experiences joy in the journey of working itself.  I am lucky to have her as a role model, even if I can’t keep up with her!

Have a great week!

Mary