This commentary is by Brian Ricca, the school superintendent in St. Johnsbury.
On March 31 at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier, the Vermont Superintendents Association gathered for an all-members meeting.
It was not the first since the pandemic began. In the spring of 2021, we were able to be together at Lake Morey before the Delta surge. However, this one felt like the beginning of a return to what life was like before March of 2020.
I met Vermont colleagues for the first time ever in person. They were named superintendents in 2020 and 2021, and the only time I met them was in a box on my computer screen. There were handshakes, hugs and high-fives.
It felt wonderful. It felt like old times before we even knew the word pandemic or even Covid. I know there are still public health concerns, and I believe we must work toward managing this virus and avoid further shutdowns at all costs.
As I’ve been reflecting on all of these feelings from that week, I’m avoiding the use of a particular word: normal. I don’t want us to go back to normal. Normal wasn’t working for enough of our community.
Normal meant accepting the inequity in our systems. Accepting systemic racism. Looking past the opioid crisis. Not talking about the lack of affordable housing. Avoiding the hard conversations.
Normal meant strict adherence to arbitrary deadlines. Rigidity and inflexibility. Words like zero tolerance and completely unacceptable. And while some of this has its place, I wondered about where it should be as we look forward. As we look to emerge from these past two years and what lessons we’ve learned.
In a recent conversation with some students, the themes of flexibility and adaptability were mentioned as they thought about what felt different about school during Covid. They spoke about how teachers were gentler about deadlines, more forgiving about mistakes, and less concerned with issues previously felt too big to overcome. In other words, more patience and grace.
I want schools to be normalized with more patience and grace. Let that be our normal. And before the naysayers come in with the arguments about slippery slopes, I don’t know one adult boss in our world who cannot be flexible on some deadlines. The notion that if we show empathy and kindness to our students, we are not preparing them for the real world, is simply untrue. In fact, I argue that our world could use substantially more empathy and kindness. Let’s start in our schools.
This week I saw a tweet from Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte): There’s nothing to lose by giving a student a second chance. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. There’s only the possibility of strengthening a relationship, demonstrating the power of empathy, and instilling a glimmer of hopeful recovery.
So, while we are talking about patience and grace, let’s talk about second chances. I want schools to be places where second chances are given. And thirds and fourths if need be.
The emotional toll these past years have taken on every single human being, regardless of age, gender, profession, or circumstance, cannot be calculated. Notice that I didn’t say second chances just for students; adults should also get second chances.
To be clear, leading with patience and grace still allows you to hold people to high standards. Giving second chances speaks to behaviors people exhibit, not the people themselves. Expecting this from a school community is what leadership is all about.
Ricca, you’re too soft. I don’t think so. But if you disagree, perhaps consider this as the strength we need to come out of these past two years a little better than when our world changed in March 2020.
Let that be our new normal.
