How do you measure the health of a school?

We’ve had a lot of distractions lately. Budget, testing, homework, apathy, cut-scores, subgroups; the list is long and each have the ability to increase anxiety and raise the blood-pressure. So I’ve decided to focus on the question, How do you measure the health of a school? As I ponder this cardinal question, it strikes me that the answer most likely depends on the perspective of the one doing the pondering.

It would make sense that a physician may say that the health of the school depends on the number of absences, known illnesses, and concussions received while at school. A lawyer may believe that a healthy school is one which experiences no litigation. Arne Duncan would think that standardized test scores would indicate a healthy or infirmed school. Ruby Payne would look into the level of generational poverty and the cultural backgrounds of the teachers before answering this question. Governor Cuomo would undoubtedly say that all New York Schools are first in cost and 34th in results (even though his data is one-dimensional, outdated, and simply wrong), therefore we’re all unhealthy. Paul Vermette would tend to think that a healthy school is one that takes care of the social-emotional and development needs of each child. Mel Riddile, former principal and an associate of NASSP said that his barometer of a healthy school is to listen to what the staff of the school talks about. Teachers in [healthy] schools talk about students and how they are meeting their needs. [Unhealthy] schools talk about adult wants and adult needs. I found that perspective the most intriguing.

I believe that the most accurate answer to this question is from the perspective of the Essential Elements. These elements encompass all the aforementioned thoughts and ideas. So, a healthy school is one that implements the Essential Elements to a high degree. This is where AAK excels.

The distractions that claim our time and focus will not diminish in the coming days, weeks, and months. It will be imperative to remember that our objective is to remain a beacon of excellence for our students, families, and other educators looking for solutions. We are developmentally responsive to the needs of our students and this will be our continued emphasis. Programs will change, but our mission will not. Being a healthy school, as being an excellent school, is not a destination, but rather a process. We will continue with the process of excellence regardless of the distractions.

Thank you for providing a healthy, child-focused school. Have a wonderful weekend.