Let’s get right to the point: Everything you do in your school tells a story.

Every curricular decision, every hire, every budget line item, every communication, every policy — every single aspect of the way students experience your school defines what you value most, what you think is most important, and, in the aggregate, the story that people in your school community consume and share. 

And my sense is, most schools don’t fully grasp that concept.

I’ll never forget one opening day email that my son got from his high school principal. You would think that the first communication of the year would be peppered with “We missed you” or “We’re so excited for this school year” or “Here’s all the great new stuff we have in store for you.” Instead, after a couple of date and time reminders, the last line read “And we want to make sure we get the year off to a good start, so please review the dress code policy so you’re not in violation on opening day.”

That tells a story, no? 

And honestly, most of the stories schools tell are about order and “success.” I’ve walked literally hundreds of school hallways where…