Sometimes We Got It Wrong. But We Also Got It Right, Too.

Following are excerpts from my graduation remarks to the Class of '24:

I want to thank parents for sharing your children with us.  This is a superb and talented class, and we have been honored to work with them! 

I will acknowledge that we didn’t always get things right for

the Class of ‘24.  There are some things we got wrong; we

made mistakes along the way.  Oh, for sure, there were a lot

of things we got right; but a 13 year journey is long and,

inevitably, we fell short one way or the other.  We didn’t

always understand or get your kid. I admit: There were

missed opportunities.

For example, your children, the members of the Class of

‘24, only received a half day of Kindergarten, and now

everyone has a full day Kindergarten experience! And

remember just a few short years ago during the

pandemic we separated your kids into two main groups: 

Remember the Blue Days and Gold Days; a week on a week

off?  Remember emailing me to tell me how unfair it was

that the Blue kids had more time in school than your Gold 

kid, and what was I going to do about it? Yeah, for sure, the

COVID experience wasn’t a highlight of your son or

daughter’s education. 

There were also times over the last 13 years that some

members of this class didn’t feel they belonged because of

their race, their learning style, their religion or sexual

orientation; sometimes their classmates were just plain 

mean to them and we, as educators, may not have

responded as fully or as quickly as we should have. Our 

actions were well intended but sometimes inadequate.

Now, to be fair, parents make mistakes, too! Mom or Dad,

you know what I am talking  about. I mean, as the father of

three daughters, I have an unpublished book entitled:

“Fatherhood: A Blueprint for Screwing Up the Lives of Your

Three Daughters as Reported by Your Three

Daughters.”

It’s just the way it is; whether you’re raising children or

teaching them, it’s inevitable you’ll get it wrong

sometimes.  I mean, there were those times you put

pressure on your daughter’s grades or your son’s

homework and that backfired, right?  Remember how you

compared siblings? Or how you micromanaged a play date

or regretted saying something in anger because you were

exhausted and frustrated? What about the time you

rescued them instead of letting them figure it out? We’ve all

been there.  Raising children - teaching young minds - is a

complicated and messy affair.  

The reality is parents and teachers have developed a

partnership of sorts, a sometimes awkward alliance of

imperfect but loving adult caregivers who have guided this

awesome Class of ‘24 and watched them win

championships, display sportsmanship, perform on the

stage, create magical pieces of writing and art, accumulate

untold academic honors, speak out against injustice and

become powerful voices in their community. This class has

done all of that and more.

So, congratulations, parents and teachers! The act of

nurturing human beings, these young people, has been

challenging, for sure, but joyful nonetheless. Take great

pride in what you - what we - have accomplished.  They sit

before us eager and prepared - and they, like us, remain

unfinished and imperfect. Unfinished but caring human

beings whose energy, creativity, wisdom, and spirit will

conquer a world that desperately needs their innovation,

civility, justice, and love.

Members of the Needham High Class of '24 toss their caps into the air!