At La Salle its okay to "leap into the dark"

Henry David Thoreau captured, I think, the significance of how transitions work in our lives when he wrote in his journal:

"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success."

Whether it’s a transition from high school to college, one job to another or one location to another, there is always an element of the unknown that shrouds the process by which we move our lives forward. And, while we are often the agents of a transition, we aren’t necessarily its manager. Old patterns of behavior become irrelevant, new people enter our lives and unfamiliar expectations emerge.  While we think we know what lies on the other side of a transition, we really don’t.  At some point in the transition process, we must, as Thoreau so adroitly notes, “leap in the dark.”

                La Salle is in the midst of “leaping in the dark” as we search for a new principal. But that transition must be placed within the context of an extraordinarily exciting and challenging year.  At the very same time that the School is looking for a new principal, we are also in the midst of pursuing public approval for our Campus Master Plan and have successfully concluded the WCEA/WASC accreditation and Strategic Planning processes. All four moments – together - represent a significant transition in the wonderful story of La Salle High School. We are faced with hiring a principal who will, more than likely, preside over a school that – for the first time in its 60 year history – has no Christian Brother present, we are also charting the course of the next ten years through the creation of a Strategic Plan and the implementation of an Educational Improvement Plan (EIP) which is validated by the WCEA/WASC accreditation process (cf. last month’s La Salle Matters in the ParentNewsletter on our website).

                These initiatives require La Salle to “walk consciously…toward our goal” of providing a diversity of opportunities both in and out of the classroom that is unparalleled among its peers (cf. Value Proposition in the Summer 2015 ParentNewsletter).  To accomplish this ambitious goal, we must put the intellectual, financial and physical resources in place which will attract college-preparatory ready, Mission-appropriate, students who represent the economic and demographic characteristics of the San Gabriel Valley. La Salle enjoys a proud history of doing exactly that; but as the “Baby Boom Bust” continues to produce fewer school-age children, we cannot assume that they will find us attractive simply because of what we have done in the past. Rather, we must provide clear evidence to teenagers (and their parents) that they can successfully pursue their passion – whatever it is – here at La Salle. La Salle is known, for example, for its robust four-year Visual and Performing Arts program which annually draws more than two hundred students who are able to, essentially, “major” in one of five artistic disciplines (including our award-winning film and digital media program). Less visible is the four-year Honors program which results in outstanding “pass rates” in over 17 Advanced Placement courses. And, as interscholastic athletics becomes increasingly more competitive in Southern California, we know that our commitment to provide the resources necessary to build a successful sports program at La Salle will produce the kind of success that gets reported in the Pasadena Star-News (cf. the terrific coverage of our Boys Basketball journey to the State Tournament).  I am fond of referring to these elements of the School’s Mission as a “three-legged stool.” The stool (La Salle) cannot remain upright without ensuring that each leg is as strong as the other ones.

                Nevertheless, it will be for the next principal to act as “conductor” of the La Salle “orchestra,” and to support the “leap into the dark of our success.”  It will be up to him – or her – to take advantage of the recommendations found in the highly salutary report of the WCEA/WASC Visiting Committee (stay tuned – next month’s ParentNewsletter will feature a precís of their report). He – or she – will need to assure current and future families entrusted to our care that their children will not only thrive but succeed at La Salle – so much so that there can be little doubt about what college they should attend after graduation. Yes, it’s a daunting challenge – one that was characterized by a member of the Search Committee as “looking for Jesus with an MBA!” That having been said, I am pleased to report that, of the nearly 30 candidates who have expressed interest in the position, eleven fit the profile of the next principal of La Salle (cf. http://www.lasallehs.org/s/639/2col.aspx?sid=639&gid=1&pgid=1600 to read the job description). Consequently, I look forward to the deliberations of the Search Committee and am confident that I will be reporting good news regarding the appointment of the next principal before the end of the school year. Because we are “walking consciously toward our goal,” I do not fear the necessary “leap into the dark of our success.” Rather, I welcome this transition to the next chapter of La Salle’s story.