This week I had the opportunity to visit with Blake Stanberry at Haywood Christian Academy in Waynesville, NC. Blake is the founding head of this young school, having built a well-balanced program in only five years of operation. School Growth has been engaged by HCA to craft a design plan that will position the school as a formidible competitor in Western North Carolina. The school board is implementing The Board Index to improve the quality of governance, and Blake's leadership team is exploring various options to build high value and differentiation.
The School Growth design process includes determining an intentional balance between the polarities that influence all aspects and stakeholders of the organization. We use the term polarity as a description of the distribution of authority and beliefs within the school. Below is a sample list:
|
Polarities of School Design |
||
|
Strict |
<-> |
Free |
|
Conservative |
<-> |
Progressive |
|
Traditional |
<-> |
High Tech |
|
Feel |
<-> |
Data |
|
Secular |
<-> |
Belief |
|
Formal |
<-> |
Informal |
|
Closed |
<-> |
Open |
|
Absolute |
<-> |
Flexible |
|
Concrete |
<-> |
Vague |
|
Big |
<-> |
Small |
|
Authority |
<-> |
Consensus |
|
Accessible |
<-> |
Elite |
|
Comprehensive |
<-> |
Piecemeal |
|
Prescriptive |
<-> |
Freeform |
|
Boot-strap |
<-> |
Abundance |
|
Supportive |
<-> |
Challenging |
|
Liberal Arts |
<-> |
Vocational |
The board and administrative team at HCA will make decisions about each of these polarities in light of the mission, vision, culture, and core values. This enables them to establish a framework within which strategic direction can be determined regarding personnel, curriculum, technology, funding, facilities, marketing, enrollment, etc. Schools now have so many opportunities to innovatively create high-value differentiation, and will have to do so in order to thrive in an education marketspace that is radically changing.
Waynesville isn't a thriving metropolis, but Blake and his school board recognize that even in this beautiful small mountain community they must aggressively compete with public and charter schools that are raising the bar. So we're starting with some small initiatives that will create some momentum and buzz, while also collecting feedback and data that will be used build some more signficant plans.
As Jim Collins describes in his book, Great by Choice, it is wise to start by firing a few bullets first to hone your aim before loading up a cannonball. HCA's plan will leverage some exciting technologies and instructional methods that offer teachers new ways to inspire, inform, and assess students. The biggest challenge for HCA will be helping parents understand and appreciate that the evolving classroom will be very different from what they experienced in their youth.
Your feedback is valuable:
What polarities would you add to the list above?
What are the biggest impediments to change in your school?
