“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Ernest Hemingway once began his Tale of Two Cities. And as we have collected bad news from the State and Federal and world markets over the last few weeks, I have often been reminded of his words.

In the midst of the worst fiscal crisis since…, we have seen our first African-American elected President, an event that very few of us expected to witness in our lifetimes. And whether President Obama goes on to fulfill the dreams of those swept up in the mania of his candidacy, or goes on to realize the worst fears of those opposed to him, this election of 2008 will surely go down as one of the most important ones in our childrens’ lifetimes.

While we all depend upon his success and pray for him, we depend still more upon the successes of those most dear to us. So much hinges on the skills and abilities, the decisions and wisdom of our next generation, and, in the midst of the worldwide fears and crisis of our present days, I can not help but look around me and be very optimistic indeed.

At their best, sports are a breeding ground for man’s highest virtues, and how gifted we are that our young women now participate in these as well. A “Coach,” at the best, teaches young men and women the meaning of team work, of persistence, of bravery and commitment, of hard work and purposeful action, controlled passion and failure without defeat. We in Marathon have the finest staff of coaches I have ever seen. Karen Funk, Chip Stewart, Todd James, and now Trish Hayes get the most out of every group of kids that our community sends to them. They lead teams to regularly exceed expectations- their own and everyone else’s- and win. But what makes these coaches great, and the teams great, and, in the process, the children on them great, is not the winning. Rather, the winning is but a fortunate byproduct of the infinitely more important mission of building up strong men and women. The sport becomes a vehicle for the building up of character, and that is why our teams have been such a joy to watch.

And as these teams have been off building champions across the State, others have stayed home to complete the same work, though on a different field of play. Roseanne Holland, Sandi Jennison, Corinne Upcraft, and watch, you will see, David Wilson, work the stage in their drama productions, band and choral concerts just as our coaches have. They have taught our children to believe in themselves, to rely on each other, and strive for nothing short of excellence. For Roseanne and Sandi, in particular, they have shown that there is a place for everyone (even the most cantankerous of Board members) along the journey’s way.

And then there is Marguerite Lincoln. “Salt of the Earth,” that woman is. Marguerite completed her last Thanksgiving Dinner this past month, where she graciously informed us all that she was stepping down, but that we were not to worry. There will always be someone equally good- different, but equally good- to take our place. She was right, of course (as, I have found, she always is), but it is not by accident that this succession takes place as “easily” as it does.

Each of these folks I have talked about, and all of them together, (and a hundred more of you beside them) mold this next generation of leaders, of care takers, of community elders, and of teachers. And so, as proud as I am of the accomplishments of our students over the past few weeks, it is their teachers that I praise here- the ones responsible for building up a next generation that will bring the hope, and the salvation, and the meaning to our lives.

Be proud of all that you have accomplished, boys and girls, and revel in your successes, but, more important still is to dwell on the lessons you have learned along the way here, and on the models that your greatest teachers have provided you. You will rise to take their place someday, but before then there will be more battles to be won, mistakes and failures to overcome, and lessons to be learned. In your turn, you will be like your teachers. You will be champions in life as you are on the stage and field. Your children are depending on you.

God speed; you are all Olympians.

Change is hard. Change is scary. But I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never understood why. Where there is no change, there is no life. No surprise, no hope, no future.

Our approach to change is crucial. If we prepare for change, even better, if we empower ourselves to be agents of change, we have the capacity to experience change as a positive good. But when change is something that is thrust upon us, we see change as an evil to be resisted. We find it hard; we find it scary; we feel helpless and out of control.

It is our job as educators to prepare our children for change, even better, to teach them the skills necessary to become agents of change, themselves. To be leaders. To become confident individuals with a high degree of self-mastery and control.

As school leaders, it is our job to research our past and present in order to plan programs and make decisions that will prepare students with the skills necessary to succeed in the future. In times of fiscal crisis, these judgments become particularly crucial as we make decisions about what it is we value and what we will invest in.

At present, I believe that at all grade levels, UPK-12:

•we must teach our children how to think independently, to read critically, and to express themselves clearly.

•we must teach them to be numerically literate and to challenge themselves with difficult studies, especially in the fields of math and science.

•we must make sure that their education is meaningful- that it enables them to make sense of their world, of themselves, and of each other- that they might become effective agents in the world.

•we must provide them with real world applications. They must learn to join theoretical understanding to practical applications.

•we must develop students’ power to reason but must attend to their spiritual development as well. We must teach them how to trust and develop their intuition, listen to their heart, and, then, to dig deeper still through faith.

•we must be honest with them about the real world problems that we face, provide them the chance to take on responsibilities and to try out solutions of their own making.

•we must allow them to make mistakes in a safe environment that can insulate them (in their youth) from the full consequences of their necessary errors.

•we must guide them and push them but must also trust them to become partners in their own learning.

•we must love them. We must challenge them.

•we must not to let our selves off the hook, take the easy way out, let change from without overtake us. They need us for protection. They need us for direction.

•we must forgive ourselves and one another each and every day. We must stand and fight on their behalf each and every day.

This much is certain: change is going to happen. We can act as responsible adults and educators and community leaders; we can use our mutual goals and values and our best predictions for the future to prepare for and direct that change. Or we can stand frozen in the present as forces beyond our control wash over us and our children. The obligation to plan and prepare and act is tremendous. We must face the future together and each do our part to survive and to thrive; failure is not an option.