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FOCUS
 Recently, I attended a meeting for Headmasters of several leading New England independent schools where the topic of – yes, you guessed it - “the economic crisis” took center stage. The heads focused on whether or not they should, individually, write letters to parents discussing the potential effect of the economic situation on their particular schools and reassuring families about the basic soundness of their institutions. Some thought they’d write such a letter, some not and some had already done so.
About one thing there was clear unanimity: all the schools remain focused on their students and on their mission with them and all will commit themselves to the essential elements of that mission. These independent schools will remain committed to small classes, to high quality instruction, to the essential and distinctive variety of creative, artistic, athletic and social activities that characterize them and to preserving and continuing to grow the resources that support them.
Nobody suggested anything different. These were schools, like Tabor, with significant resources and strong traditions. All of them, again like Tabor, had opened this year with full enrollments and were, up to the present moment, continuing to experience strong indications of interest for the upcoming year. At our own annual Fall Open House, for instance, we welcomed the largest number of prospective students and their families ever to attend such an event. The number of visitors to our campus this fall has been equal to or better than the strongest years in our history.
And, most importantly, our current students and their families are clearly dedicated to their experiences at Tabor as is our faculty.
One head, who had decided against writing such a letter, said something along these lines - “well, if you were flying in an airplane and the pilot came on the intercom and said ’folks, everything’s just fine up here, engines are working well, all our instruments are up and running, flight attendants are experienced and we’ve even got a special dinner planned...’ everybody’d immediately ask ’what’s wrong here!?’”
Another head, an old friend with a puckish sense of humor who favored writing a letter, recalled a flight he’d been on where the pilot had come on (“true story” he said) and said “folks, we’re in for quite a bit of turbulence on this trip and I just want you to know I’m a damn good pilot.” Of course, he concluded, there was no turbulence at all, but he appreciated the confidence in the cockpit.
Another who opted not to write such a letter “right now,” said the financial impact on schools because of current instability in security invested endowments and unknown annual giving, so important to school operation, was simply not clear at present.
Our position is simply this: Tabor is about our kids and the people who work with them. That is our mission and that is what we are committed to doing. I assume, because in the twenty-one years I’ve been Headmaster at Tabor I have never heard one person suggest differently, that our families share that commitment. I expect that some aspects of this year, from a financial point of view, are going to be a stretch for all of us. I know that Tabor Academy has always treated our resources thoughtfully and conservatively and we are hewing to that course.
I assume, too, because we have always shared the commitment to our students with families, that families will do everything in their power to continue their children in school at Tabor and that we all understand the importance of the Annual Fund to the school’s over-all health.
We will all do what we need to do, this year and in the future, to live up to our commitments. That’s what we ask of our kids when they are here and that is exactly what we will continue to do. We will continue our class sizes at their current levels, we will support our faculty, we will encourage the wonderful diversity of students with whom we are privileged to work, we will support each of our artistic, athletic and social programs.
And we will, as wisdom for any of us dictates, ask ourselves daily what is essential, what we really need to do, what we might do without, what we could do more efficiently, how we could improve by focusing on the essentials. This is not a time for blase assurances. It is a time for realistic assessment, genuine commitment, prudent management.
Coincidentally, our school theme for this year, “Going Green,” emphasizes this commitment. For example, early in the school year, with the leadership of seniors Allie Evarts and Frances Robinson, we stopped using trays in the dining hall. Already, the savings have been dramatic: a nearly 50% (!) reduction in food waste, conservation of nearly 500 gallons of heated water a week and an ability to shift the responsibilities of a member of the dish crew to other duties.
Probably everyone knows the cliche, still current as recently as Al Gore’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, that the Chinese character for “crisis” (“wei ji”)is “danger” and “opportunity.” But many know, as well, that this translation turns out to be an over-simplification if not a down-right distortion. The English translation of “crisis” might be closer to “danger crucial point” than “danger/opportunity.”
Over the years, I have become a believer, however it is translated, in the importance of crisis - for individuals and for institutions. A real crisis requires one to focus on what is important and what needs to happen next. Often, for individuals and institutions - perhaps even countries - crisis provokes growth.
We intend to keep our focus clearly on our children and our students and on what is necessary for their health, their development and their education. We will navigate together the crucial points of this crisis. And that is exactly what we are all committed to doing together.
Jay S. Stroud
Headmaster
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