Trust the Process (and the Principal)

I've blogged about Trust before. I've called it a four letter word. All of this is true.

But as we've started another school year, I've faced a constant stream of questions and inquiry from our parent community that hints at a lack of trust in the school system.

Let me preface this blog with the following: I don't blame our parent community if they are hesitant to trust their child's principal. I've blogged before about the struggles my wife and I have faced in best supporting our daughters in their school district. If you don't have trust, every action by your student's principal is put under the microscope moving forward.

Knowing that the transition to middle school is a challenge, I prepared specific slides for our 5th grade parent night. When our parents had questions thereafter, I put together a FAQ to best respond. During the summer, I shared additional information with our incoming parent community. I sent home reminders during the summer months. With our 6th grade parent orientation, I shared additional information. Over the days following this meeting, I answered more questions about the transition to middle school.

I'm not sure you'll find a middle school that shared as much information with their incoming parent community in the summer prior to the start of the school year as what we provided this past summer.

And yet, based on the continued flurry of concerns and emails from our parent community, it still doesn't feel like enough.

It doesn't feel like enough because we're still receiving questions and concerns... and most of these questions have answers that are harvested within trust.

Trust that we're going to take care of your student.
Trust that we know how to best support our students.
Trust that we're prepared for the upcoming school year.
Trust that we've ready for every event and activity your student may want to participate in.

And yes, we've received some unique (because there are no such thing as silly) questions as well...

Yes, we have WiFi in our homework center (how else would they be able to do their homework?)
Yes, students are allowed to have backpacks during the school day (ok, was this a real question?)
Yes, we have campus maps (on the website and also available in the office)
Yes, we have clubs your student can participate in (and you'll receive information at a later date)
Yes, you're allowed to walk your student to school each morning (it's also ok to let them walk the five blocks on their own).

In the end, all of these questions come down to trust.

I remind our parent community that I've been at UMS for the past 8 years and have a very experienced and talented front office staff - we know what we're doing.

I share that our teaching staff is dialed in times ten and know how to best support your student - this is the best middle school staff anywhere.

I spend my summer, often at the expense of family time, making sure that your student has the best schedule possible for their 6th grade experience - we literally hand schedule every single student, spending more time perfecting our master schedule than what you'll find at any other middle school.

And I overshare as much as possible with everything our parent community needs to know for their 6th grade year - all in an effort to ease their worries and concerns.

In the end, I ask for trust.

Trust that we know how to best support your student.
Trust that we've hand scheduled your student for their math class based on multiple data points.
Trust that while we have over a thousand students at our school, we share the sentiment that your student is also the most important student at our school.

And I ask that you trust your student's teachers, that you trust our front office, and that you trust your student's principal... me.

Know that it's going to be ok.

Understand that we care just as much about your student's success as you do.

Trust our process.

We share the same desired outcome as you do for your student: a school experience where learning is fun in a safe environment led by dynamic and caring educations. That's what I'm going to promise for all of our incoming 6th grade students.

Let's end with an unsolicited direct message from an edu-famous author I received this week:

"My very old friend, (UMS PARENT), has his twins in your 6th grade. In a recent catching up email, he mentioned how great it is to have the kids at Union and how much he appreciated your leadership. Thought you'd like to know that. Happy Tuesday."

It's ok to trust us. We know what we're doing. It's going to be ok.