A Reader Submits... The Power of the LYS Nation

An Old School LYS’er submits the following:

I know some of you are skeptical about the power of the LYS Nation and the motives of the typical LYS’er, but let me explain just one way how it works (as I have experienced it many times). This summer, my district was thrown a curve ball. At no fault of our own, the major University that we were partnered with decided to pull the plug (immediately and without warning) on the Mandarin Chinese course that our students had been enrolled in for the past two years. The High School LYS’ers can immediately see our dilemma. Now I have a group of seniors who face serious academic repercussions if they can’t finish the third year of their foreign language requirement. And after of month of looking under every rock, we don’t have one viable solution.

I happen to run into Cain at a conference and in the midst of catching up, I tell him about our Chinese issue. It was just one small topic in a larger conversation. We part ways and I go back to solving problems in my district. Two weeks later, I’m at my desk when my phone rings. I answer and with no chitchat Cain asks, “Did you solve your Chinese class problem?”

“No, why?”

Cain says, “Talk to this person,” and I can tell that he hands his phone to somebody.

Long story short, Cain ran into another LYS’er who provides on-line foreign language solutions for small schools, at an airport, in another part of the country. Six minutes on the phone, a week before school, and our nightmare problem resolves itself with minimal cost and no disruptions to our students.

Doubt the power of the LYS Nation and you discount one of the most powerful tools you have at your access.

SC Response

I wish I could take credit for solving the problem but I was just fortunate to be standing in the right place at the right time. But this happens so often that I don’t even question it anymore. Identify the problem, actively look for the solution, and more often than not the solution will find you.

Think. Work. Achieve.

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