Deo Gratias

That’s Latin for “Thanks be to God.” I learned that years ago as an altar boy in the pre-Vatican II Catholic Church. Two years ago I began a course of study at St. Bonaventure University in Educational Leadership. Two years ago about this time I was still quite uncertain of that direction and what I have come to regard as the “Good Journey” at St. Bonaventure. I graduated in May 2011 with a 4.0 and an MSED in Educational Leadership at the top of my class and then began the certification process to obtain official credentials as a School Building Leader and School District Leader. Today, shortly after 5 pm I received email that indicated that I had passed all tests for certification. I am very relieved that this part of the journey is over with. I found the certification tests difficult and a real test of what I had learned. The tests concentrated on skills found at the upper end of Bloom’s Taxonomy and they were designed by psychometricians who knew how to design difficult tests. That’s past and now I’ve passed one more hurdle on the road to school leadership at a crisis moment in American education. I have no idea what the future will bring. I’m listening with the ear of my heart. Thank you to everyone who prayed for my good test results. I’m grateful and hopeful. I’m grateful to my advisor, Dr. Greg Gibbs, my other professors at St. Bonaventure and to those in my cohort who encouraged me throughout our time together.