Mission statements are the guiding beacons of the independent school
world. "Mission-appropriate" and "mission-driven" are regarded as
watchwords of good management and good leadership. I'll go on record here
as saying that I very much support this point of view.
For an article on mission statements that I am working on for the
independent school press, I am wondering if there are any independent
school educators out there at the "senior management" level who are NOT
big believers in the concept of "mission statement as sacred text." I
would be interested in speaking with a couple of people who are perhaps
mission agnostics or even mission atheists.
I am not referring to educators who are out of tune with their own
schools' missions but rather to leaders who believe in more pragmatic or
other-directed approaches to guiding and running independent schools. Such
folks might even believe that the "mission" concept is overblown,
unnecessary, or outmoded.
Perhaps such people don't exist, or perhaps they wish to remain anonymous,
but if you know a head or other high-level administrator at your school or
elsewhere who might fit the description of "mission skeptic," please pass
this message along.
I do request that responses be made off list, directly to me at
pgow@bcdschool.org or pgow@mindspring.com.
Thank you very much--Peter Gow
Peter Gow
Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
www.bcdschool.org
617-738-2755 (O)
617-738-2747 (F)
petergow3 (Skype)
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