(You can find all the work of Rascal Zurfluh at https://zimplicity.org/.)
The story of the observations of a trusted confidant of a retired school leader.
From my usual perch on my master’s lap, I’ve been watching something unfold that’s both heartwarming and a little bittersweet. Each year around this time, the Roll Call arrives — messages from Heads of School around the world, full of energy, purpose, and possibility. Normally, these messages mean we’re about to leap into another school year together. But this time, something is different. My master is reading them from home, coffee in hand, without the familiar scent of freshly waxed hallways or the flurry of opening-day excitement. For the first time in decades, we’re on the outside looking in.
I’ll admit, I felt a little forlorn. A dog gets used to certain rhythms — the late-night planning sessions, the early assemblies, the steady stream of students who wave at me as they walk to school passing my yard. But retirement, it seems, has a rhythm of its own. And as I listened to my master sigh and smile his way through each message, I realized that even from this vantage point, there is much to reflect upon.
A Global Chorus of Purpose
This year’s roll call sings with familiar refrains and fresh harmonies. Some heads are launching bold new initiatives — innovative programs, reimagined curricula, and spaces designed to spark creativity and belonging. Others speak with the hard-earned wisdom of experience, knowing that the heart of leadership lies in relationships, resilience, and renewal.
From Hanoi’s reflections on belonging and AI integration to Guangzhou’s deepened focus on social-emotional learning … from Maputo’s determination to rebuild after a challenging year to Luxembourg’s joy in welcoming students from 65 nations … each message is a window into a community striving toward its own vision of excellence. Even veteran leaders stepping away from headship shared words of gratitude, humility, and hope — reminders that while roles may change, purpose endures.
As I listened to all this, I was reminded that while each school’s story is unique, they are all part of a larger narrative — one of adaptation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to young people. And this year, that narrative includes a profound new chapter.
From Big Data to Big Picture
Some years ago — back when my fur was still mostly brown — my master spoke at an AISH gathering about “Big Data.” It was an exciting idea at the time: gathering more information from more sources to make better decisions – he referred to it as granularity at the time. Heads nodded, and schools began to track metrics and analyze patterns more deeply than ever before. The goal was to see beyond the anecdotal and into the systemic.
Today, that conversation feels almost quaint. Artificial intelligence has changed the game. Where once leaders wrestled with spreadsheets and surveys, now they’re beginning to engage with vast webs of interconnected information — not just data points, but dynamic patterns, relationships, and possibilities. It’s no longer about collecting more data. It’s about seeing more deeply into what that data means with an ardent partner helping behind the screen.
This shift matters for school leaders. A single concern from a parent, once viewed as an isolated data point, can now be understood within a larger cultural, historical, and emotional context. Patterns of student learning can be analyzed alongside community demographics, global trends, and even predictive modeling of future needs. AI allows us to step back from the narrow focus of individual trees and glimpse the shape and health of the forest.
Sage Advice from the Lap of Experience
Of course, even as the tools evolve, the heart of leadership remains the same. The roll call messages make that abundantly clear. The best leaders still begin with students in mind. They still pause to look beneath the surface of problems. They still build relationships as the foundation of their schools. And — as any dog worth his kibble knows — they still need to take care of themselves to have the strength to care for others.
What changes is the landscape in which they do this work. AI doesn’t replace the wisdom of experience; it enhances it. It doesn’t solve the puzzles of leadership for you; it offers you new ways to see the puzzle as a whole. It doesn’t wag the tail — but it might just help you understand why the tail is wagging in the first place.
Closing Thoughts
So here I sit, paws crossed and tail gently thumping, watching a new school year unfold from a different angle. My master may no longer be at the helm, but the work continues — richer, more complex, and more interconnected than ever. And I, Rascal, remain convinced that the heads who thrive in this era will be those who embrace the tools of the future without losing the timeless instincts that define great leadership.
Because whether you’re parsing big data or exploring big pictures, sniffing out the story behind the story is still the wisest move you can make.
Until next time — keep your noses to the ground and your eyes on the horizon and occasionally be a Rascal, like me and my best friend!