Head of School’s Notebook | Authority and Power

March 1, 2018

Our inquiry question two years ago dealt with the source of power. It’s a tricky subject, figuring out where authority comes from. Among other things, we discovered that we actually endow others with power that they wouldn’t otherwise have. “We” are the source of “their” power.

But “we” also claim authority on our own from time to time and ironically worry very little about whether we are entitled to it. Strength of feeling overwhelms misgiving or even insecurity.

We act or speak or assert because we feel compelled to do so. And the power, whether we are exercising it or somebody else is, comes from us.

I have been thinking about that in a year when the exercise of power is so prominent on the world stage. It’s in the evolving political landscape; it’s in the natural environment, the storms, and the questions surrounding our climate; it’s in the barriers we place around ourselves, our countries, our racial or religious or ethnic heritage; it’s in our virtue and in our faults.

And since the horrific tragedy in Parkland, Florida, power is infusing the national discourse on gun control – not through the usual suspects, but through the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Their authority is distinct, compelling, and unusually unassailable. They have asked the right question, too.

“Should I (or we) be afraid to go to school?”

Implicit in the question is a failure of the adult community. The students are afraid because the threat to their safety still exists. We – the adults – have not reduced or eliminated it. We are part of the problem, and seemingly powerless to do anything about it.

The kids, though, aren’t encumbered by the apparent failures of my generation. They have a kind of authority that we lack, a kind that may well lead to change. It is too early to say, of course, but the students have already changed the dynamic. That’s the first step toward changing outcomes.

And they have gained traction, at least outside the halls of government. Said Edward Stack, the son of the founder of Dick’s Sporting Goods and the company’s CEO, regarding the decision to stop selling assault style rifles, “When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset. We love these kids and their rallying cry, ‘Enough is enough.’ It got to us.”

While we await whatever comes next, we can savor this compelling example of power assumed and authority exercised by the very young people whose leadership we expect to rely on in the future. It’s a heartening truth – whatever one’s politics might be – that our students aren’t waiting for the future to make their voices known and heard.

Especially in this year, when we have been faced with the challenge of the unexpected on more than one occasion, it is invigorating to see energy rising from tragedy and to appreciate that our momentum is galvanized by the young people who fill our schools.

For those searching for hope in a tumultuous world, look no further.