Heather, visiting with Bartlett City Schools and an old friend

My sister has always said of me, “Disaster is your friend.” And while I don’t want to tempt fate by appearing to laugh in the face of adversity, I would have to admit that in the darkest times of my life, I experienced the most growth, and floods, felled trees, accidents, and calamities that should have prompted a downturn in my fortunes often had the opposite effect. Time and again, I found opportunity in the obstacle, and sometimes that made all the difference. Traditional schools have been handed the same sort of opportunity with COVID-19.

My love for Louisiana goes all the way back to middle school. My uncle moved to New Orleans following his retirement from the navy to work in the shipping industry there. One of my strongest childhood memories remains that of my first walk down Bourbon Street with my parents. It was like having entered another world.

Everybody loves data, right?  We use data to make all kinds of decisions about where we will eat dinner, what appliance repair service we will use, what book we will read, and where we will spend our money.  Data allows us to make evidence-based decisions in business, education, and our personal lives.  But I think data is also part of one’s commitment to lifelong learning, being the best version of oneself one can be, and fostering a growth mindset.  Data tracks growth, and growth must be celebrated in order to foster continued growth.