Everyone is Asking for More

I have always been drawn to officiating, even at a very young age.  When playing pick up football when I was younger, I was a referee on the field either as often or sometimes more often than I played.  I even borrowed a yellow cloth napkin from my parents' fancy napkin drawer, put pennies in one end and tied it off to try to emulate the officials I saw on TV.

During that period of time I watched the evolution of replay in the various sports, but particularly the NFL.  When I think about when the NFL first introduced replay into the game, the announcements from the on-field officials were short and sweet, something to the effect of: "After review, the call is reversed."  Then back to the game.

These days the explanations given by the on-field officials are much more detailed.  Consider the following video of an explanation during a recent NFL playoff game.  The video is only 20 seconds or so and the explanation comes at the end.

This was a much more detailed explanation than the early years of replay.  It was very descriptive of the why, the rationale, what the official saw and what ultimately led to that decision to confirm that call.

As I gave this further thought, I recognized areas in my professional realm where I have noticed that folks are looking for more.  One small way I noted was how I let folks know about school closings, delays, etc.  In my first few years as superintendent, I simply let the community know the status of the school day.  Most recently, on a day where other schools had closings/delays but no delay in Montpelier Public Schools, after a thoughtful conversation with a concerned parent, that individual suggested that I clarify my reasoning with the greater community.  And I did.

I shared the process that I use when I make those early morning decisions.  I start with the Street Superintendent in Montpelier, usually connect with the meteorologist on duty at the Burlington Airport working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and then reach out to my area superintendent colleagues to hear what information they have about the roads.  I then make a decision based on that information, and I share the rationale in my recorded message as well as my e-mail message.

Upon further review (yes, that is what the NFL officials say), I realized how important this was as we fully made the switch to proficiency based learning at Montpelier High School and are beginning substantive changes in all of MPS.  In the prior school year, we held evening community forums to describe not just the what, but the why.  We talked about how teachers are no longer the keepers of the content and we wanted (and would be mandated to provide) an educational experience for our students that relied less on seat time and more on a demonstration of what our students have actually learned.

The officiating crew for the Super Bowl has already been named and the referee will be responsible for communicating any replay reviews with an overwhelming television audience.  Last year's Super Bowl drew 114.4 million viewers.  Like school leaders understand in a very dynamic and changing educational landscape, he knows that everyone is asking for more.

Super Bowl 51 Referee Carl Cheffers