Expressions June 2020

a lesson from my mom

Our CEO, Amanda Stanley, with her family.

My family is one of more than a million in Virginia trying to keep our children learning without access to traditional classrooms. My mom, a skilled and creative retired teacher, is thankfully willing to help us. Here was our exchange earlier today, after I asked how her time homeschooling my boys had gone: Mom: There were some moments of anguish with the math. They clearly know how to multiply and how to divide. But they do not always know when to use which approach. Me: mm-hmm Mom: I asked them (insert pesky word problem)… Me: (interrupting) Three! The answer is three! Mom: (glaring) I asked them to tell me not what the answer was, but how they would solve the problem: would they use multiplication or division? Me: Oh. And they didn’t know. Mom: Right. We stayed with it. When we split the chicken nuggets at lunch, I asked them to tell me how we would do that problem in math. I told them that sometimes the most important thing isn’t knowing the answer. It’s knowing how to approach the problem.* The most important thing isn’t knowing the answer. It’s knowing how to approach the problem. COVID-19 has introduced more problems than we can count including operational conundrums and interpersonal head-scratchers. Everywhere I look I see evidence of adapting, pivoting, and re-ordering: In our caregivers’ homes, work habits of our front-line staff, outreach of our leadership teams, support of our board, and in the giving patterns of our donors. Everyone, all at once, began carrying the mission differently. We have not known all the answers, but we have known how we will approach the problems that this pandemic has laid in front of us: We will keep safety at the forefront, provide choice whenever we can, and overcommunicate. We will do what is right, even when it is hard, even when it costs us something important, and we will do it together. As our reality has shifted, you have remained steadfast, fueling every video call, late-night decision-making huddle, virtual counseling session, and client visit. You’ve done it in service to the vision we all believe in—a world where everyone has a no-matter-what family. This newsletter is more than an update; it is an expression of our thanks to you for approaching us with generosity and care. With gladness and gratitude,

Amanda Stanley

* The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher—she teaches a life lesson in the middle of math.