Last week, TCSA spent three days with the newly awarded Generation 20 teams from A+UP, Kauffman Leadership Academy, Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy, The Lone Star Language Academy, and Trivium Academy. Eager for information and full of joy for our unified mission of serving students well, they digested large quantities of information each day in preparation for their leadership roles from the onset.

As Dr. Alan Seay often says – running a charter school is much like climbing a mountain – exciting, inspiring, and more perilous than most people realize. He actually compares it to summiting the treacherous K2! I compare it to my experience on Mt. Whitney.

These leaders have identified the goal and are preparing to set out on the journey. Our hope in providing ‘Launch Training’ is to serve as their guide and coach – an amalgam of a Sherpa (‘Watch out for Army Pass if going the back route’ and ‘don’t miss Guitar Lake’) and a mountain-loving REI worker (‘Here are the critical items to have in your backpack’ and ‘best to have Cytomax and this light-weight half-dome tent’).

As we reviewed the 10 systems of the Quality Framework and the related state performance measures, we attempted to stuff their packs to capacity with information, resources, and ‘gear’ that would help them make it successfully up the mountainside. And as a bonus over those few days, we were able to spend additional quality time with the latest visionaries to join the movement.

Congratulations again, Gen 20!

Time to take that hill!  

Laura Kelly