I Have a DREAM
Let's recall events that happened in a six-month span back in 1963 -
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., August 28, 1963
These words were spoken for the first time less than three months after the death of Pope John XXIII. Pope Paul VI was elected June 21, 1963, and decided the Second Vatican Council would continue. Convening on September 29, 1963, Pope Paul's opening address stressed the pastoral nature of the council, and set out four purposes for it:
- To more fully define the nature of the church, and the role of the bishop;
- To renew the church;
- To restore unity among all Christians, including seeking pardon for Catholic contributions to separation;
- To start a dialog with the contemporary world.
Less than two months later, in our "contemporary" world, JFK was assassinated.
These men were indeed dreamers - visionaries that could see beyond the desperation and desolation, the fears and frailties in front of them, and inspire hope, rekindle the fire of faith, and encourage the work necessary to achieve the dream.
47 years later, we have been placed in this moment in time to do the same for our schools. Leadership requires the DREAM...the ability to vision, to creatively imagine what we should be working for. It also requires the environment to envision, the time to plan time to plan, and the willingness to set ideas aside that are detrimental to the dream.
How does this affect your school? In a practical sense, DREAM stands for "Development - Retention - Enrollment - Advancement - and Marketing." It's not considered an educators first priority since it's the "business" side of the school, rather than than the "ministry" (that is, the educational) side of the school.
But if you don't have the DREAM, then how can you hope to survive?
Live the DREAM!!
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010 (Original Publication Date: 20050117)
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