Unsolicited Feedback – The Honest Truth

This month, we received a letter from a group of seasoned professional working with youth in therapeutic schools and programs throughout the country.  There are a number of these “centers” serving adolescents and children identified by their affiliation with the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP).  We have been working with such centers for the past 15 years and more intensely in the past 5 due to increased demand in mental health services.

There was a paragraph in the letter that struck a cord with me based on their perspective on who we are:

…we are impressed with the work you have done in response to the needs of kids in a variety of circumstances in the various communities you serve. Blueprint Education appears to have a wonderful history which was grown from the ground up. You seem to be a school that is in the business not just for business, but because you love kids.

This comment speaks volumes to our philosophy on helping students learn.  Last year I posted thoughts about our beliefs in helping students along their academic path. 

We do not push paper, pencils, or transcripts, but we do push individuals to reach to their potential in their own individual ways - not by anyone else’s script. If you have the desire to manage your own destiny.

One of the greatest rewards of being in my position is hearing unsolicited feedback from industry professional, school administrators, parents and students.  Certainly it boosts our egos when the feedback is positive such as the case here, but the constructive criticism is equally welcome as hard as it is to hear, it makes us grow as an organization.