Why, when confronted with pictures of my hometown devastated by a tornado, did I instinctively search for my schools? Connection? Safety? Belonging? Positive memories? Maybe all of them. And because I am an educator, eventually the personal reflection became a professional one.

In turnaround spaces, especially in communities where dropping out of high school is common and disengagement starts early, we cannot afford to treat engagement as fluff. High interest electives are not schedule decorations. They are attendance strategies. They are relationship builders. They are identity shapers. They are often the first place a student feels competent, needed, and successful.

“Thanks for helping me believe I’m not dumb.” If a student felt the need to say that, what had school taught them before they ever walked into that classroom? In the urgency of turnaround, we measure growth, track data, and chase outcomes. But beneath every score is a belief a student holds about themselves. The question we rarely stop to ask is this: What does your classroom teach students about who they are when the test is over?

The first day back from winter break always carries a mix of energy and uncertainty. In a turnaround school, especially one serving a transient population, that feeling is amplified. Enrollment shifts constantly. Students come and go, families make hard decisions, and stability can feel fragile even on the best days.