Superintendent Mario Contini The 'Stockdale Paradox' and the human side of school closure

Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great" referred to several qualities of greatness. He called one of those qualities the 'Stockdale Paradox,' an ability to face the brutal facts with the faith that we will be successful in the end.

It was named after Admiral James Stockdale's experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, facing death and torture every day. Stockdale noticed that the prisoners who survived were not in denial of their situation.

Instead, they confronted the brutal facts of their plight, planned their day around them, and never lost faith that they would eventually survive.

Fortunately, we are not faced with the life-threatening situation Stockdale and his fellow prisoners experienced. However, we do have a Stockdale Paradox opportunity. The Conejo Valley Unified School District and over half of the school districts in California are experiencing declining enrollment. This is causing school closures to offset huge reductions in revenue and protect the quality of educational programs.

How we confront these brutal facts "together" with the conviction that we will succeed in resolving the problems they create will determine how well our schools thrive over the next few years. There is more to this than money and programs, however. There is a human impact of school closure that we must also confront with respect, understanding and compassion.

For that reason the Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt a school closure process that provides plenty of parent input and reflects parent concerns and the needs of students. The process was carefully designed by a large committee of parents and staff and is as fair and sensitive a process as any in California.

It includes a well thought out set of primary criteria for identifying the "candidate" schools to consider for closure. On Tues., Jan. 15, the Board of Education will receive a report from the committee proposing those candidate schools. If the board approves, secondary criteria will be applied to the candidate schools to determine which two are best suited for closure.

The results will be reported to the board on Feb. 5. If approved, those two schools would close in the fall of 2009, allowing 18 months for a smooth and supportive transition process for the families and schools affected.

No matter how thorough and sensitive the process, "my school" closing will always be a tough pill to swallow, probably more so for adults than children, who adjust to change quite well. It's not easy to let go of our neighborhood school, a hub of our community and where a great education with wonderful memories and relationships were built for years.

School activities often dictated our dinner times, daily routines and greatly impacted our lives. Yes, lost revenue, jeopardized programs, and school closure are all brutal facts we must face with declining enrollment, but there is a human impact to tend to as well.

Those students, parents, teachers and support staff most affected will shed many tears as they say goodbye to one neighborhood school and experience the excitement of saying hello to their new neighborhood school where excellence in education will continue. They will need understanding, compassion and encouragement as they leave a familiar setting and help new ideas, traditions, and memories unfold in a different setting.

In the fall of 2009, the school district will provide events for both the closing schools and the schools receiving students from them. These events will celebrate the memories of the past and the new opportunities and relationships of the future. They will be part of the process of confronting the brutal facts with attention to the human side of school closure and the conviction that a wonderful merging of two school cultures will result in the end.

What a beautiful way for our school community to exercise the 'Stockdale Paradox'!