Paradigm High School creates a wellspring of
Servant-Leaders
who can read and think deeply, write profoundly, speak concisely,
and lead with integrity in every path they pursue.
I asked them, "So how is the school doing?" Some of the kids said okay, some said terrible and others said good. "Lets talk about the bad." I suggested.
This gave voice to the critics. They were colorful in their responses, ranging from "the school is stupid" to "the school doesn't know how to have discussions anymore."
"I agree, the school is everything you said. The school is stupid, it can't discuss and it is boring. We should fire the school." There were a lot of awkward looks. "Wait, who is the school?" They all stared until one student offered, "The school is us."
"So you are stupid? So you fail at discussing and you are boring?"
One of the girls in the class came to life. Bastian, this just blows my mind! We are the school!"
For a mission statement to work, there has to be buy in. It has to be instilled in our culture and our way of being. We have to believe it. All the students believed in the schools mission statement but they were waiting for someone else to accomplish it. They wanted someone else to, "create a wellspring of Servant-Leaders who can read and think deeply, write profoundly, speak concisely,and lead with integrity in every path they pursue." Once they realized that they were the school or community the mission statement began to help them refocus and change. As a class they made plans to keep the rules better, to discuss more deeply and to initiate the change that they were waiting for others to accomplish.
