I have posted a few times about the importance of stability. This is because we have public officials in Washington and in the states, as well as think tank pundits, who think it is a good idea to close schools, open schools, repeat again and again, fire teachers and principals and call it a “turnaround.” They disregard the issue of stability. They think that churn of staff and disruption of schools are “reforms.” That’s because they think of students as cogs or widgets or inanimate objects that can be moved about at will.

Another teacher explains why stability matters to his students:

“…my students need stability.”  And so do mine, especially when they come from home environments and situations that are in a constant state of insecurity over the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and legal and/or custody issues.  For many of my students, school provides an oasis of caring that makes it possible for them to learn, and may just be the best seven hours of their day.  At school they are assured of breakfast, lunch, access to school-based health care, and supervision and instruction from a committed faculty and staff with deep roots in the community, from the time the bus picks them up in the morning until they are safely returned in the afternoon.  Along with knowing all the established routines and unwritten subtleties that go into operating our school on a daily basis, we also know our children – their strengths, needs, personalities, families, who they can or can’t work with, what strategies do or don’t work for them, and we monitor and adjust as necessary to promote their continued growth while ensuring their safety and stability.  We are a village and we’re doing a pretty good job raising our children to become competent and caring citizens because we know and value the difference between human capital and human beings.