As a former flight instructor and commercial pilot, I learned early in my training that the difference between an incident and an accident is breaking any one of the links in the accident chain.
Many pilots fly to their deaths because they stay in an extended state of denial long after the facts show they need to take decisive action to address an anomalous situation. Something as simple as declaring an emergency can help put the pilot in the proper mental state to address the situation at hand. This action seems simple, but people rarely want to acknowledge they have lost control--even if only partially. This exact behavior is what we're witnessing with school districts across the country.
Below are four headlines. Which group of administrators would you want piloting your airplane?
Denver Public Schools: Despite funding reduction, district plans increase in classroom cash (9News)
Falcon School District #49: School district declares financial emergency (SkyHi News)
East Grand #2: Panel: Nix softball, hike activity fees (Sky Hi News)
Grand Junction: District 51 must slash $5 million from budget (The Daily Sentinel)
Out of the above school districts, only the Falcon School District has taken the steps necessary to break their fiscal accident chain. Declaring an emergency puts the district in the mindset that serious and decisive action must be taken NOW to avoid a fatal fiscal crash.
Our county, town, foundation and school officials are all in denial. The longer they continue to keep this mortally wounded artifice airborne, the more peril they'll face.
Amen!
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