Page 5 - AASBO EDGE Back to School 2025

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY RYAN FRENCH
Redefining Impossible in Arizona's Schools

Ryan French
I sincerely hope that everyone reading this was able or budget cycle. Every decision you make ripples
to listen to James Lawrence, the keynote speaker forward into the lives of students for years to
of the 72 AASBO Annual Summer Conference. come. The ability to see what could be, and to plan
nd
His story is awe inspiring and his mental strength accordingly, is the hallmark of both elite endurance
is truly inspirational. It is my desire that everyone athletes and exceptional school business officials.
who heard him had a renewed sense of purpose In Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence writes about
when leaving the conference. If you did not get creating a mental picture so vivid that quitting is
a chance to hear him speak or read his book, I'll no longer an option. That same clarity of vision is

try to summarize the main points the best I can what enables you to redefine impossible in your
for you. district and department every day.

In every arena, whether it's the open road of an 2. Endurance: The Power of Steady Strides
Ironman course or the bustling halls of our schools, Endurance isn't glamorous. It's built in the quiet,
success is born not from a single burst of effort, repetitive work no one sees, 4 a.m. training
but from sustained, relentless commitment. James sessions, daily spreadsheets and late-night board
Lawrence, A.K.A. The Iron Cowboy, pushed meetings. James Lawrence didn't rely on bursts
the limits of what most of us thought possible: of speed, but on a steady, sustainable rhythm.
completing 50 Ironman triathlons in 50 states in 50 Likewise, the stability and continuity you provide
consecutive days. His story isn't just an athletic feat; Arizona's schools, is what allows students, staff,
it's a living metaphor for what you, as leaders in and communities to thrive. When the challenges
Arizona's education system, do every day. Like the pile up like approaching deadlines or staffing
Iron Cowboy on most of his journey, body aching issues; you keep moving forward, one problem
and mind weary, you often find yourselves deep solved, one issue addressed, one step at a time.
in the marathon of budgeting cycles, compliance
requirements, and fiscal challenges. You have to 3. Resilience: Rising After the Setback
balance ever-tightening resources to ensure that No 50-day journey is free from setbacks. James
every student has access to the tools they need Lawrence battled exhaustion, injury, and moments
to learn. Your work demands the very qualities where continuing felt impossible. Yet each
James Lawrence's journey exemplified: vision, morning, he got back on the bike, into the water,
endurance, resilience, and unwavering purpose. or onto the running trail. In school finance, there
are days when the spreadsheet doesn't balance,
1. Vision: Seeing Beyond the Finish Line when a facilities crisis interrupts your carefully
James didn't set out to merely beat the world record planned schedule, when the numbers and needs
by one Ironman, he set a goal that would test the seem misaligned. Resilience isn't about avoiding
outer edges of human capacity. You, too, operate challenges, it's about returning to the work with
with a vision that stretches beyond this fiscal year CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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