There is something intoxicating about live theater. Think about the last performance you sawβhow you were drawn to the stage, engrossed by the stories, moved by the raw emotion.
The audience travels with the characters, mesmerized. It is also the artistry of the performers, the writers, the designers, directors, and choreographers.
Theater is truth-telling via storytelling. Like stage managers, we are given the remarkable privilege of behind-the-scenes access, watching the magic come to life. We see our alumni move successfully through the world, engaging in their communities and making a difference. We spotlight the impact our institutions have on the lives of our students and community members. We set the stage and work to ensure that everything runs on cue.
We find ourselves at a time when the very value of education is being questioned in numerous countries by political leaders, parents, and pundits. Somewhere, it seems, the plot got lost. The lines heard the loudest are not only from those with legitimate questions about how our institutions function and why the price of education keeps rising but also from those who may not understand our work.
First, we must search for the grains of truth in the barrage of criticism facing the education sector and do what we can as leaders to tackle issues of cost and price. Second, we must not let the richness, value, and diversity of education be drowned out in the cacophony.
