Your true values are clear from what you choose to measure.
In June, in local newspapers across the country, features are being published about Valedictorians or the “Top 10 Outstanding Graduates.” These outstanding graduates will be determined by one measurement: GPA. What you measure is what you value. Never mind the students who do remarkable things in arts, athletics, volunteerism, leadership, etc. but struggle in school or choose not to play the GPA game; their outstanding work is not measured, so it isn’t reported on. It isn’t valued.
(I want to say: I know individuals who lead schools who would say they value different things, and mean it. This isn’t about individuals, it’s about what the system values.)
When my kids were in third grade, they were tested for a pull-out gifted program. Two were selected, one wasn’t. He probably took away from this that he wasn’t as smart as his siblings, even though he most certainly is. His intellect wasn’t being measured by the specific test they used, so he thought he wasn’t valued. What you measure is what you value.
School districts are in a sadly cutthroat competition for “Top High Schools” according to certain national news magazines. Their measurements are blatantly biased towards AP and “Rigor” (whatever that means), so schools end up adjusting curricula to meet the demands of these rankings. What you measure is what you value.
An uplifting one to end: A couple of decades ago MSVMA developed a rigorous, clear, scientifically tested adjudication rubric for their choral festivals. It’s absolutely clear what they measure, and they tailored the measurements to reflect the values the organization sought to represent. The outcome is an ongoing flourishing of outstanding singing from choirs across the state; choirs whose students have learned from the values measured in MSVMA’s rubric.
How often do you measure things in your year directing choirs? Take a step back and ask whether what you’re measuring truly reflects your values.