A Kindred Philosophy

This week Christy Hutton, the Head of School at Georgiana Bruce Kirby presented the strategic plan for spreading word about the non-profit who shapes where our daughter receives her education, and I couldn’t help but note the similar philosophies held between a private educational center such as Kirby and an independent brokerage such as Main Street Realtors.

With attendance at schools down countywide, there were several aspects about Kirby’s plan to promote the school which stood out for me, not the least of which was the intention not to grow unchecked, but rather to remain the right amount of small, where each student can feel supported and seen. This resonates with our brokerage’s mission to maintain the type of connection with each client that enables us to deliver a higher level of service that more closely meets their needs.

They are also focused on overcoming common misperceptions about the nature and costs of private schools by propagating a system of Tiered Tuition to make attendance more accessible to the children of families with limited financial resources. This is done by adjusting fees on a progressive scale to match the income level of the parents, in much the same way that the clients at a brokerage pay a commission that corresponds to the dollar volume of the transaction we are handling. And like the school, a good broker prides themselves in treating each relationship with the same level of care and commitment.

One of the key aspects which separates a smaller school like Kirby from larger institutions is how they support the individual development of the student, with a safe environment of Unconditional Positive Regard where they can develop skills such as Critical Thinking, which is increasingly important with the emerging use of AI, so that the individual can discern between Artificial intelligence and Artificial Stupidity. This resonates with our small brokerage’s philosophy of being selective of the programs and systems we use for a given project instead of assuming that the largest or most automated ones are necessarily the best. 

I was also impressed by the school’s focus on achievement, which is not so much driven by the letter grade, but rather by the way you learn and apply the knowledge. They strive for a different type of rigor where the student doesn’t burn out with the Rigor Mortis of cramming but instead has a sense of Rigor Vitae, or “movement of life” around their learning. This is consistent with the approach I have long cultivated of measuring the success of each project not by the dollar volume but rather by the level of happiness we are able to achieve for the client, and the joy of being able to share in the excitement of their journey.

For anyone wanting to learn more about Kirby School there are two events coming up: A private meet and greet with members of the staff and admissions team on Monday, November 3 from 6:00-8:00 pm at a local vineyard tasting room on the Westside, and an open house at the campus from 1:00-3:00 PM on Saturday, October 15. Details are available at www.kirby.org