I feel like if I put the name of everyone I know on a BINGO card and check their name off after I learn that they have tested positive for COVID, I would have a BINGO three times over. It's ridiculous. And exhausting.

This world, and subsequently this school district, runs on people. And people are sick. And so things aren't running great. I mean, for God's sake, Adele had to postpone her Las Vegas residency. GASP!

And that sucks. And I am so sorry to people that feel like crap. I am even more sorry to family and friends that have lost someone to this horrific virus. I am NOT making light of COVID. It has killed millions and left millions more with life-altering ailments. That is tragic, and those of us unaffected (or minimally affected) must consider ourselves fortunate.

But what if we use this opportunity to re-think how systems should run?

For years we have known that our organizations were running people into the ground. 60-70 hour weeks were looked on as a badge of honor. "First in, last out" people were the ones given the high fives from the boss. The term hustle became associated with people doing whatever it takes to get ahead.

What if the universe looked at all of this and said, "y'all need to chill"? And then smacked us in the face with a pandemic that attempted to do just that?

What if instead of fighting against it and hoping that it goes away soon, we are supposed to re-think the way we operate?

What does a healthy work environment look like?

What do schedules that take care of our wellbeing look like?

No, seriously. I am asking you.

Phoenix Union High School District has started iDays, where every Monday is a remote learning day.

Maricopa County Public Health rotates remote workdays for employees and cross-trains wherever possible (think creating broader job descriptions where multiple people fill multiple duties).

What can we do to re-imagine our work and our workforce to better take care of ourselves and provide better services for our students?

If you have ideas, reach out and let me know. My team and I will be discussing this over the next few weeks, and I hope that we can re-imagine education by re-imagining the education profession.

Let's not go back to normal. Let's create the new normal that better takes care of us all. Take care.

Leadership and Learning