a thought as the sun did, indeed, come up this morning

I have heard from a number of faculty, parents, and students regarding things said by faculty and students on campus yesterday as the results of the US election results. Some of the comments have been funny, even in their hyperbolic absurdity, but other have been more serious, as when a sixth grader asked me it was true, as he had been told, that World War III was just around the corner.

Whatever your political persuasion, whatever your social, religious, cultural beliefs may be, we are one shared community that comes together each day because we willingly embrace common Core Values.

Academic Excellence – We strive to teach children HOW to think, not WHAT to think. You may be vegetarian or carnivorous, you may believe in radical income redistribution or laissez-faire economics, you may believe in one God who judges us for our sins or that “death closes all.” That is who you are individually. We are a community of very diverse opinions and beliefs, something which I count as a strength of SSIS. We need to listen, to engage in constructive conversations, and to be willing to consider other points of view.

Sense of Self – Helping children and adults grow in self-confidence is only possible when they are encouraged to express themselves, even when their ideas are in the minority. I would remind everyone here that there is not a single movement for social change to be found in all of history that did not begin as a minority opinion. Ideas that are in fashion today with a broad spectrum across the left and the right may be viewed in the future as the very epitome of prejudice and ignorance. It has happened before. Ideas which have come to be universally rejected today may become widely accepted again some day. It has happened before. The cure for myopic viewpoints, from whatever portion of the spectrum they may come, is good, honest, forthright discussion within a civil community.

Respect for All – Because we are privileged to live and work in this great community, I think we sometimes take respect for granted. Respect is far easier when we share a common culture, a common language, a common history, or common beliefs. It is nothing to be proud of, though, if we are respectful to those we agree with. The real test of respect is how we treat those whose very core beliefs and assumptions are at odds with ours.

I love this community and each and every one of its members. It is also likely that any one of my beliefs on history, religion, economics, political philosophy, gun control in the United States, education, law, childrearing, medical ethics, culture, or anything else you can possible imagine is likely at odds with some, or even most, members this community. I don’t see this as a threat or something to be avoided. The tabs across my browser, when I am reading the news, span CNN, the LA Times, the Washington Post, the New York Post, Fox News, etc. I have seen complete drivel from both the left and the right in the last 24 hours, and I have seen extremely intelligent, thoughtful commentary from both sides as well.

Each of us has role to play here at SSIS. By what we say and do, especially when we disagree, we either strengthen or weaken the fabric of our community. I have faith in each of you, as caring and charismatic professionals, that you will play your part now and in the future in continuing to build a culture of respect amongst all our students, faculty, and staff.

Sincerely yours,

Mark