Generations

Fall 2024Vol 7. No. 1

When I was growing up in Colorado, in what some would call “the high desert,” there weren’t a ton of trees. While the Rocky Mountains are covered in forest, the plains to the east are, well, plain. So when I moved to Arkansas as an adult, I was stunned by the lush greenery dominating the landscape. Even in the middle of town, the roads are lined with dense woods. Nearly every neighborhood has what seems like hundreds of trees—many of which long predate the houses beneath their branches.

As the leaves have begun changing here in Little Rock, I’ve been thinking about trees—or, more specifically, about forests. It’s easy to think of a forest as a collection of individual trees, but that’s not the whole story. According to the research of Canadian scientist Dr. Suzanne Simard, “forests are deeply connected and collaborative places.” Simard’s work attests that trees can actually share resources like carbon and nitrogen through fungal networks in their roots. “Mother Trees,” the oldest and biggest trees in a forest, act as central hubs for all these resources, storing and distributing them to their younger, smaller counterparts.

It’s vital to the health of a forest to protect and preserve its oldest trees. But a healthy forest isn’t made up of only Mother Trees; it’s a mix of young and old. If a forest doesn’t have any smaller saplings, that’s a potential indicator that the soil conditions aren’t conducive to growth. Younger trees also pull carbon dioxide from the air at a faster rate than older ones, helping to slow the effects of climate change. The point is: You need trees of all ages to create a healthy environment.

The same principle is true in your school community. In your classrooms, you need experienced teachers and leaders with institutional knowledge they can share with everyone—but you also need the energy and new ideas of those in their first few years of teaching. You need your students to feel valued and heard, but you also need retirees in your community to feel connected to your school system. If your district is going to thrive, it needs a network much like that fungal network between the roots of trees, connecting stakeholders of all generations.

So when we say this issue of SchoolCEO is focusing on generations, that’s what we mean. It’s not all about the break down of who’s a baby boomer and who’s a millennial (though we cover that, too)—it’s about how to connect people of all ages with your school system and with each other.

Dialing Back Distractions

How one California district decided to implement a mobile device ban—and got their families on board

School Shoutout: When Students Speak Up

How Chesapeake Public Schools’ student-led summit helped close the gap between teens and parents

Older and Wiser

Retirees are an untapped resource. If you can attract them to volunteer positions, it will benefit your schools and provide them meaning and connection.

Are Your Alumni All In?

Alumni engagement strategies for inviting former students "back to school" and why it could benefit your district to take some notes

Generations

Fall 2024Vol 7. No. 1

When I was growing up in Colorado, in what some would call “the high desert,” there weren’t a ton of trees. While the Rocky Mountains are covered in forest, the plains to the east are, well, plain. So when I moved to Arkansas as an adult, I was stunned by the lush greenery dominating the landscape. Even in the middle of town, the roads are lined with dense woods. Nearly every neighborhood has what seems like hundreds of trees—many of which long predate the houses beneath their branches.

As the leaves have begun changing here in Little Rock, I’ve been thinking about trees—or, more specifically, about forests. It’s easy to think of a forest as a collection of individual trees, but that’s not the whole story. According to the research of Canadian scientist Dr. Suzanne Simard, “forests are deeply connected and collaborative places.” Simard’s work attests that trees can actually share resources like carbon and nitrogen through fungal networks in their roots. “Mother Trees,” the oldest and biggest trees in a forest, act as central hubs for all these resources, storing and distributing them to their younger, smaller counterparts.

It’s vital to the health of a forest to protect and preserve its oldest trees. But a healthy forest isn’t made up of only Mother Trees; it’s a mix of young and old. If a forest doesn’t have any smaller saplings, that’s a potential indicator that the soil conditions aren’t conducive to growth. Younger trees also pull carbon dioxide from the air at a faster rate than older ones, helping to slow the effects of climate change. The point is: You need trees of all ages to create a healthy environment.

The same principle is true in your school community. In your classrooms, you need experienced teachers and leaders with institutional knowledge they can share with everyone—but you also need the energy and new ideas of those in their first few years of teaching. You need your students to feel valued and heard, but you also need retirees in your community to feel connected to your school system. If your district is going to thrive, it needs a network much like that fungal network between the roots of trees, connecting stakeholders of all generations.

So when we say this issue of SchoolCEO is focusing on generations, that’s what we mean. It’s not all about the break down of who’s a baby boomer and who’s a millennial (though we cover that, too)—it’s about how to connect people of all ages with your school system and with each other.

Generations: An Overview

We’ll provide a quick rundown on each generation, from baby boomers all the way to Gen Alpha.

Celebrating Excellence

Introducing the finalists for the first-ever SchoolCEO Excellence in School Marketing Award

Becoming a Perennial Leader

As a school leader, it’s your responsibility to create a culture that works for employees of any generation.

Dialing Back Distractions

How one California district decided to implement a mobile device ban—and got their families on board

Co-Creating Change

How Superintendent Rebecca Jenkins established an intergenerational school leadership model at Libertyville District 70

School Shoutout: When Students Speak Up

How Chesapeake Public Schools’ student-led summit helped close the gap between teens and parents

Loud and Clear

Successful student leadership initiatives have a few key components in common: processes, relationships, follow-through and inclusivity.

Older and Wiser

Retirees are an untapped resource. If you can attract them to volunteer positions, it will benefit your schools and provide them meaning and connection.

From Scholars to Storytellers

Students can tell your district’s story like no one else can. So why not give them a larger role in your school marketing and communications?

Are Your Alumni All In?

Alumni engagement strategies for inviting former students "back to school" and why it could benefit your district to take some notes

America Online

Everyone’s online these days, but each generation has its own approach to their online activities.