TAA Graduation 2011

Penny and I just got home from the TAA Commencement Service.  It was a memorable service.  The Class President’s address was moving.  The music was personal and relevant to the occasion.  The Commencement Address was appropriate and truly challenged the class to make an impact after they leave TAA just as they had while they were here.

Although there is still a little over a month left before my first anniversary in Arizona, this event marks a major conclusion of a chapter in my first year.  The school year just ending was fraught with twist and turns that were unexpected when the year began.  Change was in the air, but not to the degree to which it ultimately happened.  Yet, here I am, looking back at the year and wondering if the efforts put forth will lead to a new and better chapter in the annals of, not just  TAA, but the entire Arizona Conference educational system.  The task is daunting!

The answers are not neatly arranged for easy access and application as the situation demands.  There is risk.  There will be moments when our best efforts will fall short of eliciting the desired results.  But the option is worse—to continue doing things as they have always been done, or to do nothing at all!

For now, what remains is making the transition with dignity and professionalism.  It is more difficult that it would appear, but the consequence of settling for the alternative makes a complex and difficult situation hurtful and damaging.  That is not the way we should treat each other.  I request your prayers.  Not for me alone, but for all those who labor for our children in our schools and in our system.  The true enemy of our children is delighted when we lose our focus. 

In any case, tomorrow comes….

Consecration Night 2011

I am sitting in front of my computer at about 10:30 p.m.  I just got home from the TAA Class of 2011 Consecration Service.  It was a great program that once again validated the value of what we do at our schools.  These are great kids!  There is no way anyone will convince me that you will hear words like the ones spoken by these soon-to-be graduates ,come out of young people about to graduate from high school in a public school—including a charter school!  Our students are imprinted with deep sense of gratitude to God, and they are not afraid to say so.

I spent some time talking to some stakeholders in the future of TAA after the meeting was done.  It was refreshing to hear the passion in their positions.  We may not have seen each other’s point of view with total clarity, but I hope we saw each other’s heart.  It goes back to the importance of having a common goal.  I sense we do.  But the road to arrive at our destination may not cover the same ground.  That’s where grace comes in.  I will need an extra helping of grace along the way.  The speaker tonight made reference to the fact that we are all flawed—amen!  That’s the truth.  My personal flaws, however, and not those of others, are the ones that will either define me or challenge me to grow through and out of them.  That’s life.

After that conversation had concluded, I spent a few minutes with a circle of kids, some alumni of TAA and other future graduates.  They were respectful and warm.  They greeted me by name.  Some even greeted me by a name certain students use to refer to me that is associated with my Week of Prayer at the beginning of the school year.   God is good.  I needed to be reminded in a different way that what we do is worth the cost.  This circle of young friends saw beyond my role as superintendent and simply accepted me as a much older brother—maybe a much older father figure….maybe even a…well, you get the point.

I will be preaching in Tucson tomorrow.  Penny arrives later tonight and we’ll be getting up early to head south.  Then we will return to enjoy the TAA Commencement Service on Saturday night.  I am looking forward to it.  Then it’s off to Southern California to spend a couple of days with the family before the true final week of school—Post Week.  For now, I better finish my sermon before it gets any later than it is already.  Happy Sabbath!

Last Day of School I

This is the last day of school for all elementary schools in the Arizona Conference.  I have a very rare free moment before office worship.  The past two weeks have been a blur.

Update at TAA:  New Food Service Director hired, New Music teacher hired, New Maintenance Director hired, New Math teacher hired.  In the wings are Registrar and Science Teacher.  Interviews are being set up for next week.  The candidates seem very promising at the moment.

What we do not have yet is a principal, although a couple of names have come up on the horizon today.  The whole AAF relationship needs to be ironed out.  Big discussions today on how that relationship, if any, will unfold.  Many questions remain.  The fluidity of the process may have frightened off some potential candidates.

I have attended two 8^th grade graduations in the past two nights: one in Tucson and the other in Cottonwood.  Great programs!  We make a difference in the lives of these kids!  It’s exciting to hear the parents talk about the difference our schools make.  Sometimes the parents are not even Adventist and they speak to positively about the value and values they associate with our schools.  It’s worth the investment.

Tonight I am actually speaking for an 8^th grade graduation at Glenview Academy.  That’s after a long meeting with the AAF people followed by an interim visit and evaluation at the Red Rock School in the early afternoon.  Just another day in the AZC!

Sunday Night at the Office

The end of another busy Sunday has come to an end.  My evening at the office is over after a critical personnel committee commissioned to secure a principal for TAA.  At the end of the evening a vote was taken to extend an invitation to one of the two finalist candidates to visit the campus.  There will be much praying tonight as people are making decisions which will impact TAA for years to come.  There is a consensus on the committee, but there is still one more step that needs to be taken to ensure that the chemistry is right in both directions.

Earlier today I was at the Chandler SDA Church for an education meeting with parents interested in educating their children in an Adventist environment.  In was encouraging to see parents trying to be creative in their quest to provide a safe educational environment for their children.  Although not as many people came as we had prepared for, it was helpful to put the packet together that will serve as a template for major initiatives for the conference educational system.

Penny went back to Riverside this morning since she knew that I would be in meetings most of the day.  It was nice having her over.  I am looking forward to early June when she will be coming for good!  Or at least for the summer, in any case…  Good night.

Sabbath on the Run (continued)

Penny and I just got back from a Sabbath School Workshop held at the Paradise Valley SDA Church.   I was asked to make a presentation to Sabbath School teachers on how to use the method used by Jesus to teach.  I enjoyed teaching the class.  It made me yearn for the simpler days when I didn’t have to worry about things greater than grading papers and having a great time teaching and interacting with students.

I did have a great time at church this morning preaching, and even playing the piano when it became apparent no such being was present to play for church.  On the other hand, I got into a bit of hot water with my wife, Penny.  I made the mistake (in her eyes) of mentioning the fact that she did not like my sermon title (the truth), that she had made mention of my expanded girth in order to encourage me to exercise more (the truth), and for good measure, that she, like many others in the fairer gender, seem to require more attention and emotional care than Neanderthal males, such as me.  For some reason she took exception to my making mention of these insignificant items during my morning sermon, for anecdotal and illustrative purposes only.  Oh well…

Well, we had to get legal advice from my two lawyer sons on the merits of her misplaced angst (notice the possessive nature of my statement), and even elicited the opinion of my pastor daughter.  All of my children wholeheartedly agreed with my total innocence (contested point) and the unfounded basis for her disdain (slanted opinion).  Actually, Penny is looking over my shoulder at this very moment and making editorial suggestions as to the veracity of my previous statement.   I suggested she launch her own blog if she wants equal access….  We may have to call my children again tonight….

We will be going on a date (Superintendents actually go on dates!) to the Acro Program at TAA in a few minutes.   We may even go out to eat with a prospective math teacher d his wife, who happens to be in town.  I received that bad news on Thursday that our candidate for TAA registrar had decided to accept a position at a school closer to her family.  That means we are beginning the process again tomorrow.  We have some solid options.  Personnel will be interviewing a couple of candidates for the principal position tomorrow evening. Both are solid candidates, and I would be delighted to work with either one of them.  Keep the process in your prayers.  Keep the Personnel Committee in your prayers. 

Gotta go….

Sabbath on the Run

It’s a great Sabbath Morning!  Penny is in town for the weekend.  She came in late last night.  I picked her up after the conclusion of “Prueba Con Jesús”, a live religious program on Más Allá del Sol TV.  I do not like being on camera.  I don’t like people whispering in my ear when I am talking…or praying!  I don’t like trying to avoid looking at myself on screen.  I have a face more fit for radio if truth be told. Gotta run to church.  Preaching this morning at a local church. (to be continued). 

Thursday Musings of Late

It is the middle of the afternoon and I have decided to pause for a moment and take stock. I am in the middle of the process of seeking what will eventually become the new face of Thunderbird for the coming year. The process is at times tedious and fastidious. Some leads lead to dead ends. Others appear promising at first, but after a bit of vetting they lose their original luster. The remainder is scheduled for teleconference or Skype interviews. Those who offer the most compatible skills sets are asked to visit the campus for another interview by the personnel committee.

There is a very small margin for error. Transitions are rarely easy. Change may be easy for some and difficult for others. Given that in any transition people will line up on opposite sides criticizing the same move for totally different reasons. Some people will align themselves with outgoing personnel, while others will align themselves against the incoming or yet to be hired faculty. It is quite apparent that any decision will be met with opposition regardless of the decision. Given that some people will defend while other will criticize it is not a comfortable place to be. Both sides are equally offended by any action or lack thereof. But this is the work we have chosen.

Four Moms and My Family

I spent the better part of today trying to take care of some legal maneuverings in Mexico, prior to heading out to Southern California and then to Central California to celebrate Mother’s Day. Yes, I have a mother. Actually, I have four!

I suppose that bears some explaining: 1) My birth mom, who raised me a good portion of my childhood and is largely responsible for the person I am today; 2) My step mom, who married the man who was married to my mom when I was born, and who remains involved in my life over the years; 3) My mother-in-law, who took me in as a son when I began stalking her daughter Penny (who I eventually married); and 4) A wonderful lady in Central California, who through a serendipitous series of events came to be known and referred to as “mom” during my years pastoring the church she attended. To this day my children still refer to her as Grandma Nancy. It makes for a somewhat interesting time of year, considering I also must remember the mother of my children (and the love of my life!).

Life is interesting. People are fascinating. God is amazing. How can we ever become apathetic or bored? God just keeps on surprising me every day with His gentle pleading and His more assertive prodding. I am sure glad God does not give up, even when we are tempted to do just that. I’m looking forward to seeing three of my moms this weekend and the fourth on May 10 (the officially recognized Mother’s Day in certain Latin countries—including Mexico).

Happy Sabbath!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

It’s Cinco de Mayo! It’s also 6:30 a.m. and I am in the office for a 7:00 a.m. Personnel Committee teleconference with a candidate for the Registrar’s position at TAA. Resumes are coming is at a pretty good clip for most positions that have opened up. It has been a very busy week. Considering it’s Thursday already and I have not blogged since last Saturday, that alone speaks for the pace for this week.

Mainly it’s been keeping up with the paperwork associated with the Superintendent’s role. It’s really not an overwhelming amount of paperwork; it’s more a matter of trying to get through the paperwork in the midst of interruptions and a multiplicity of other tasks that call for your attention. In all honesty I do not like paperwork, never have, never will. It’s a necessary evil, so I have to do my best to satisfy those who require it.

On the other hand, the people side of what I do has been enjoyable, through and through! Even when conversations have been tense, and perhaps not enjoyable in the classic sense, it is still working with people. That’s the reason I do what I do—the people! Whether they come in pint-sized shaped elementary kids, hormones with legs adolescents, questioning young adults, combative adults, cantankerous seniors (and by the way, these characteristics are not specific to any age group, by any means) —underneath all those types of people are children of God. I have to do my best to treat them with respect. That is no guarantee that I will not be misunderstood or our motive questioned, but ultimately I have to be at peace with the knowledge that I did my best to do what’s right.

Something out of the ordinary took place yesterday, I was asked to come to TAA and have a short Question & Answer period with the students. It was incredibly rewarding! The students asked some very poignant questions regarding the future of TAA and the changes that are in the works. I answered as best I could and it seemed as if they would have continued asking questions if more time had been available. Perhaps we’ll have to make it a regular event. People want answers regardless of their age. Keep praying for TAA, and quite honestly for all our schools inside and outside of the Arizona Conference. There are looming challenges across the gamut of schools across this land that will have to be addressed by Spirit-led people willing to step out in faith and attempt innovative and creative interventions. It’s an exciting time to be part of education.

Gotta go! Teleconference duty….