Leader 2 Leader

Bonsai Trees, Wildflowers and Personalized Learning To many people in the gardening and plant world, bonsais are among the most impressive trees.  Bonsai is seen as a blend of gardening and art--a way to create living sculptures.  A gardener might spend decades pruning the tree, little by little, year over year, so that it grows to the gardener’s exact vision.  For example, A Coast Redwood tree that, in the wild might grow to 100’-200’, may only grow to 1’ under the curated care of the gardener over many decades.  Recently I was listening to a  podcast , where Julie Lythcott-Haims (author of best selling books on helping young people become healthy and happy adults, and former Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising at Stanford University) applied the concept of bonsai trees to the way parents raise their children.  She shared: “We treat our kids like they are our bonsai trees… The bonsai is such an exquisite creation of the gardener...

October Blog By. Christina Cornwell  Like many principals, I spent the summer planning for a “normal” student return. I quickly found many of the same difficulties and a handful of different trials waiting for the 21/22 school year. Almost all of the 20/21 Covid-19 protocols are still in place as the Delta variant continues to take its toll. Covid-19 difficulties are exacerbating educator shortages with problems seen nationwide.  Many school districts are continuing to deal with obscene absences of both employees and students. For a school to run smoothly we need everyone in place. Custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, support staff, teachers and students. How does instruction move forward without all of these symbiotic pieces in place? This is the trial that is bearing down on education. As a principal I have cleaned rooms, served food, registered students, ran the clinic and taught classes all in the same day. I have watched teachers cover 4 classes at the same time an...

  Preparing for a lifetime of saving and spending Let's start by admitting that no two real-life spending and saving timelines are the same. That being said, there is a "classic timeline" - a general framework - that you can use as a starting point. Let's look at life a decade at a time, because a financial plan isn't just about retirement - it's about your whole life.   20-something and starting your career When job hunting, a 24-year-old is probably looking at the salary, not company benefits. But remember to ask yourself, "Does this prospective employer offer an employer-sponsored, tax-deferred retirement plan? And does the employer contribute to my account?" It's important to start saving early so your retirement account will have the opportunity to benefit from decades of compounding interest. Not making much money? That's okay: you can start with small contributions and increase them later. Here's another tip: Do your best to avoid ...