Being More Than the Sum

My VieW

Many of us have witnessed an increase in political conflict and geopolitical conflict, which impacts our school communities. Locally, we sense a certain brittleness in the adults we serve, both employees and community members. National political agendas intrude into our boardrooms.

These experiences put superintendents in uncomfortable positions where we are pushed to react to conflict. These conflicts consume attention, burn energy and distract us from supporting teaching and learning.

So what does this have to do with parking at Buffalo Bills football games? For me, the Bills lend a fitting parable. In 2019, I bought a house a half-mile from Highmark Stadium, which hosts eight regular season Bills games each season. We moved in on a Friday in September. Two days later, the Bills played the Bengals. That morning, I met my neighbors, who cheerfully offered me beers as they sold parking spaces in their front and side yards to tailgaters who appreciated the proximity. Jill, my youngest of three daughters who has an entrepreneurial streak, immediately tried to seize the opportunity to start a Bills parking business. She was 15 at the time.

While I cheer for the Bills, I was not enthusiastic about her idea. I didn’t want the lawn torn up, the liability or the public urination. My answer for three years was: “Absolutely not.” In hindsight, I don’t know if I had the most flexible mindset. I had been through the deaths of both my parents and a divorce within four years. That kind of pressure can make us less open.