November 8, 2026
What Are We Choosing to Make Better?
WHAT
At the top of one of our strategic planning documents at Mack Boulder are six words that I keep returning to.
Preserve the magic. Build the muscle.
I love that pairing.
Magic and muscle.
At first, they might seem like an unusual combination. One suggests something wonderfully spontaneous, personal, perhaps even a little mysterious. The other suggests repetition, discipline, strength, and intentional development.
But I wonder whether building something extraordinary requires both.
Last week, I wrote about feedback as information for the next attempt. Our recent Mack Pulse Check offered encouragement about the direction of our school, along with questions and perspectives that invite further attention.
And that raises another question.
Once we have information about what might be better, how do we decide what to do with it?
Because there is rarely a shortage of worthwhile things to improve.
A clearer communication. A stronger learning experience. A better process. A more welcoming environment. A new opportunity for children. A system that works more consistently.
Each possibility has merit.
But we cannot pursue every possibility with equal intensity at the same time.
Choosing what to make better also means choosing where to focus.
And perhaps, just as importantly, deciding what deserves to be preserved.
SO WHAT
I’ve spent much of my career fascinated by the design of learning environments.
One thing I’ve noticed is that schools can become remarkably skilled at adding things.
A new initiative. A promising program. A better assessment. Another resource. A different approach.
Often, each addition makes sense on its own.
But over time, the accumulation can become its own challenge.
More does not necessarily mean better.
Sometimes improvement requires adding something. Sometimes it requires simplifying, clarifying, or even letting something go.
And sometimes the most important work is making an already wonderful experience more dependable.
That last idea feels particularly relevant at Mack.
There is genuine magic here.
It lives in the relationships between children and adults, in the intellectual curiosity of our students, in the creativity of our Mackulty, and in the freedom to pursue questions that don’t always fit neatly into conventional school structures.
I see it when students become teachers, when a classroom becomes a museum, when our campus becomes a laboratory, and when an adult recognizes something extraordinary in a child that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
These things are worth protecting.
But I have also been wondering:
What makes that magic possible?
And how might we create the conditions for it to happen more consistently?
If we believe every child deserves to be known deeply, that commitment cannot depend only on individual moments of brilliance. We also need shared practices that help us deliver on that promise, across classrooms, grade levels, and years.
If we value inquiry, we need thoughtful curriculum design, meaningful assessment, and professional learning that help inquiry flourish.
If we treasure our small-school relationships, we need communication and organizational systems that strengthen those connections rather than complicate them.
Perhaps this is the relationship between magic and muscle.
The muscle does not replace the magic.
It helps sustain it.
NOW WHAT
This is the work we are intentionally undertaking at Mack this year.
Through a process of listening, studying, reflecting, and synthesizing several years of institutional learning, we identified six annual strategic priorities across four connected areas: Purpose, People, Prosperity, and Place.
We are using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to translate those aspirations into focused quarterly commitments, clear responsibilities, and regular opportunities to assess progress.
Not because we believe everything can be improved at once.
Precisely because we know it cannot.
Some of this work is already becoming visible.
In Middle School, we have strengthened the consistency of course syllabi and introduced new ways for families to see assignments and learning progress. We are continuing to develop clearer curriculum overviews and program information across K–8.
We have launched Mack Summits, an enhanced framework for professional growth, feedback, and learning among our faculty. Alongside that work, we are clarifying roles and strengthening shared approaches to student support and accountability.
And we’re imagining new possibilities beyond the regular school day, exploring how enrichment, afterschool care, and Mack Summer 2.0 might become more connected, compelling, and mission-aligned experiences for children and families. Our extraordinary campus offers possibilities that we are only beginning to explore.
These are not finished products.
They are deliberate investments in becoming better.
And there is more work underway than these few illustrations can capture. We will continue making that work and our progress more visible as plans develop and decisions take shape.
I hope our community will see something important in these choices.
We are not trying to make Mack into a different kind of school.
We are working to make Mack an even better version of the school it is meant to be.
And perhaps there is something here for all of us.
In our families, our work, our relationships, and our own learning, we encounter countless opportunities to improve.
But what deserves our focused attention?
What might become better through more intentional practice?
And what is already good, beautiful, or meaningful enough that we should take care not to lose it in our efforts to change?
Maybe the work of growth is not simply identifying what could be different.
Maybe it is learning to distinguish what needs to change from what deserves to endure.
The view from here: Progress isn’t always about becoming something different. Sometimes it is about becoming more fully who we intend to be.
Preserve the magic. Build the muscle.
Rooted & Rising,
Bo
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Mack’s Strategic Priorities | At a Glance
2026–27 · Four Areas of Focus · Six Annual Priorities
Our six annual priorities emerged from a thoughtful synthesis of Mack’s accreditation work, IB reauthorization, Board aspirations, and institutional learning. Together, they help us focus our time, energy, and resources on what matters most.
| Our Four Areas | Our Six Annual Priorities |
| PURPOSE Who we are and what students experience | 1. Clarify & Amplify Mack’s Identity |
| 2. Strengthen Program Excellence & Learning Visibility | |
| PEOPLE How we learn, work, and grow together | 3. Build a Thriving Adult Culture |
| 4. Improve Consistency, Communication & Community Trust | |
| PROSPERITY Sustaining our mission for the future | 5. Secure Enrollment, Retention, Philanthropy & Financial Sustainability |
| PLACE Our extraordinary campus and supporting systems | 6. Plan the Campus & Systems for the Future |
Using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), we translate these annual priorities into focused quarterly commitments, track progress, and adjust as we learn.
Our guiding principle: Preserve the magic. Build the muscle.
