Change on the Rise

Note: Each school year begins with an annual convocation address, where I have the privilege of speaking with all our employees to kick off the start of a new school year. My goal is to welcome, inspire, and underscore the importance of the work on which we are about to embark. As has become a tradition here at Hudson, I try to pick a theme each year that grounds us in our work. That theme this year is 'Change on the Rise' and is indicative of the tremendous change that is occurring all around us. Included this week is an abridged copy of my convocation address. I encourage readers to use the hashtag #ChangeontheRise this year in your social media posts related to the school district. Enjoy, and welcome to the start of a brand new school year!

I am very happy to welcome you all back for the start of a brand-new school year. This is the beginning of a chapter yet to be told. It’s a story that undoubtedly will contain plot twists, surprises, and challenges we cannot yet imagine. Much like the hands of a clock marking the passage of time, we move, always forward, reconciling the paradigm of our shared history with the inevitable transformation and CHANGE that is occurring all around us.

It is a very exciting moment in our school district. Change is on the Rise! We are at the crossroad of a new dawn that will bring about great transformation. I selected this particular “gospel” style song as our theme this year precisely because of the powerful imagery about change and the fact that, when it comes, we are often powerless to stop it. 

Indeed, my personal experience over the last six months has been un-welcomed and life changing. My only choice is to rely on inner strength and faith while coming to terms with the fact that I cannot change the hand I have been dealt.

There is a lyric in the opening song that describes a changing tide and that it cannot be tamed: “High tide, low tide: you can’t tame it.” Imagine for a moment what it would be like to try and hold back the onrush, or a wall of water. It is impossible. That is perhaps the best illustration I can give to changes of this magnitude.

Often, it matters not whether the change is good or bad. The challenge is to continue to have faith and optimism in the future. The good news is that even in the face of difficult and adverse change, we do have the strength to overcome, persevere, and work together to create a better world. To ‘“create a more perfect union,”. Truth be told, this idealized and perhaps utopian worldview really encapsulates our work as educators—to prepare the next generation of citizens and hope they can improve and build on the legacy that has been left to them.

I love the very first line of the song that I just shared with you: “Without the light, the darkness comes!” The image of light inspires hope, comfort, and—while most certainly biblical—is a common metaphor: tomorrow, a new dawn and the sun will rise! 

A new dawn is most certainly upon us as the sun rises and brings light to a new school year. The change we are experiencing in our district in many ways is unimaginable. Granted, much of this change is of our own choosing. Yet it will not come without stumbling blocks and even some discomfort.

Preparing for the start of a school year is no small task. This year, as you look around the district at the changes that are occurring, it is probably self-evident those challenges are further exacerbated. The maintenance department has been working nonstop since the day school was dismissed, and our contractors have had to chase after an unforgiving timeline. Much work remains, and this construction zone that is our high school will persist throughout the school year. I want to express my gratitude to the entire team for their planning, attention to detail, and problem solving that has gone into preparing us for this moment.

Over the last week, it has been a privilege to spend time with our new educators as they embark on an exciting new adventure. For some, they are preparing classrooms for the very first time. Others join us with experience that will serve them well here in Hudson Schools.

Along with amazing educators and staff, there is perhaps no better indicator of overall district health than enrollment. In the last several years, changes enacted by the legislature have given families greater flexibility and choice with regard to how and where they choose to send their children to school. Changes to open enrollment, vouchers, and online schools have not been of our choosing. Quite the contrary. However, it is undeniable that we have benefited quite handsomely as a result. 

If you want to talk about change, I never would have dreamt that we would be in a scenario where we quite literally had a waiting list for families to enroll in our schools. In the 2020-21 school year, our opening day enrollment was projected at 767. We project opening enrollment this year will be more than 900.

These gains in enrollment have enabled us to create opportunities for the students of our community that were simply out of reach a few years ago.

The question remains: why? What is it about our district that is so appealing to families? How is it that Hudson Schools became the school of choice, the destination district for so many? The answer is quite simple: our teachers and staff. It is due to their commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the students and families we serve. These attributes are what enable our students to perform at the very highest academic levels. 

We know that we cannot simply assume our success is self-assured. We will continue to work hard every moment of the precious 180 days we have on behalf of our students. We will continue to sharpen our skills, improve our craft, and live up to the legacy and tradition of this institution, while at the same time embracing the change occurring all around us.

Change on the Rise indeed! Welcome back and have a great school year. It’s great to be a Pirate!