As we are early in the Fourth Quarter and well into enrollment season, it is pretty exciting to see so much enrollment interest. Families are seeking the best options for their Early Childhood and Kindergarten needs in the fall, and our school is "in the mix" of what many are considering. Also, other people are realizing for a variety of reasons that their children at various grade levels need something different in education than what they are currently receiving. Having been faithful in our service and true to our brand promises, we are enjoying the fruit of such focus, with families choosing to come to us for needed improvement and change. They’ve learned of us through others and have come to see for themselves, and finally new enrollments are coming about as parents become convinced Anchor Lutheran is the answer to their needs.
Yet to hold true to our brand, sometimes we have to say no.
Human nature is to delight in being chosen. After all, we crave the validation that comes from being selected as the best choice out of all options considered. As Lutheran Schools, we’ve worked hard to put forward programs and environments that reflect our values and that we believe are fantastic environments for the growth of children, academically, spiritually, and otherwise. Thus, we can become pretty excited when people want to bring their children to our schools.
However, much of the success we discover flows from partnering with families for whose children we are a good fit. We cannot be all things to all people. Although we do work very hard to adapt to the needs of a wide variety of students, there are some whose needs are beyond our scope. For example, we can work with a certain level of learning differences, but some needs are beyond us, as we don’t have the dedicated resources some students require. Additionally, while we try to warmly embrace and affirm all of our students, should parents try to bring over a Junior High student who simply doesn’t want to be with us, we would likely be doomed to fail. These are some examples of when we actually have to say no, and in so doing we are providing the best love we can to a family. We only hurt them if we admit students to our schools whom we are incapable of truly teaching and nurturing with success.
Likewise as we interview parents, it is essential that we evaluate what they really think they are getting as they come to our Lutheran Schools. If their expectations and desires are grossly out of line with our brand, we need to address that up front, and help the families see that _______ Lutheran School is not really the school they are seeking. If we let a family get by us without identifying a discrepancy between who we are and what a family wants, we will all pay the price (both home and school), and the children get stuck in the middle. Again, the unconditional love we aim to share compels us to speak frankly and earnestly with each family to help them know exactly what they are getting into upon enrollment, and in that way be comfortable moving forward together rather than on two trains traveling in different directions.
So, while we will typically want to say yes, sometimes we need to say no.
This being the case, enrollment interviews are some of the most critical ways school administration supports the overall ministry of Lutheran education. And done well, they take a lot out of those conducting the interviews. But the rewards of seeing this process work properly, in allowing children, families, and our schools to thrive, make the process completely worthwhile.
I pray for wisdom as I look now to meet with some prospective new families, as well as encouraging the re-enrollment of many great current families, and I pray that this same wisdom be granted to each of the schools of our Lutheran Schools.
Yet to hold true to our brand, sometimes we have to say no.
Human nature is to delight in being chosen. After all, we crave the validation that comes from being selected as the best choice out of all options considered. As Lutheran Schools, we’ve worked hard to put forward programs and environments that reflect our values and that we believe are fantastic environments for the growth of children, academically, spiritually, and otherwise. Thus, we can become pretty excited when people want to bring their children to our schools.
However, much of the success we discover flows from partnering with families for whose children we are a good fit. We cannot be all things to all people. Although we do work very hard to adapt to the needs of a wide variety of students, there are some whose needs are beyond our scope. For example, we can work with a certain level of learning differences, but some needs are beyond us, as we don’t have the dedicated resources some students require. Additionally, while we try to warmly embrace and affirm all of our students, should parents try to bring over a Junior High student who simply doesn’t want to be with us, we would likely be doomed to fail. These are some examples of when we actually have to say no, and in so doing we are providing the best love we can to a family. We only hurt them if we admit students to our schools whom we are incapable of truly teaching and nurturing with success.
Likewise as we interview parents, it is essential that we evaluate what they really think they are getting as they come to our Lutheran Schools. If their expectations and desires are grossly out of line with our brand, we need to address that up front, and help the families see that _______ Lutheran School is not really the school they are seeking. If we let a family get by us without identifying a discrepancy between who we are and what a family wants, we will all pay the price (both home and school), and the children get stuck in the middle. Again, the unconditional love we aim to share compels us to speak frankly and earnestly with each family to help them know exactly what they are getting into upon enrollment, and in that way be comfortable moving forward together rather than on two trains traveling in different directions.
So, while we will typically want to say yes, sometimes we need to say no.
This being the case, enrollment interviews are some of the most critical ways school administration supports the overall ministry of Lutheran education. And done well, they take a lot out of those conducting the interviews. But the rewards of seeing this process work properly, in allowing children, families, and our schools to thrive, make the process completely worthwhile.
I pray for wisdom as I look now to meet with some prospective new families, as well as encouraging the re-enrollment of many great current families, and I pray that this same wisdom be granted to each of the schools of our Lutheran Schools.