The Hot Sand Principle—Why Schools Can’t Afford to Walk Barefoot

Some of my favorite days are spent at the beach with my wife. Sometimes the kids and grandkids join us, and it’s everything you’d expect—laughter, waves, and the simple joy of slowing down.

But here’s something you quickly learn at Lake Michigan beaches on a hot summer day: the sand can burn. It looks soft, inviting, even beautiful—but if you show up unprepared, you’ll find yourself doing that awkward dance across the scorching surface, regretting every step.

I’ve seen it over and over—people hop out of their cars, barefoot or in flimsy sandals, thinking the beach is just steps away. They don’t realize how brutal that sand can be until it’s too late. By then, they’re stuck—feet on fire, too far to turn back but still nowhere near the cool relief of the water.

Honestly, it’s the perfect picture of what happens to schools that aren’t prepared.

THE SAND ALWAYS GETS HOT

Every school eventually faces the heat—whether it’s tuition aid season, board accountability, parent pressures, or tough internal decisions that demand data and defensible reasoning.

Sadly, too many schools walk barefoot into these situations. They move forward without a clear plan, hoping they’ll avoid trouble. But halfway in—when tensions rise, complaints surface, or hard questions come—they realize just how exposed they are.

They try to navigate complex issues without reliable data. They often walk (or run) through decisions with no defensible footing to keep them safe. They haven’t counted the cost—and they get burned.

By then, it’s too late to avoid the pain. The only option is to scramble and hope you survive the heat.

Too many schools run barefoot. It’s not until they’re halfway across that scorching sand—feet burning, complaints rising, confusion mounting—that they realize how exposed they really are.

DON'T BE THAT SCHOOL

Here’s the thing: no one has to walk barefoot.

Schools that plan ahead—those that take time to gather the right data, build defensible systems, and prepare for tough conversations—walk with confidence. They aren’t rattled by the heat because they’ve come equipped with consistent, fair, and thoughtful approaches.

They aren’t guessing.

They aren’t hoping for the best.

They’ve done the work ahead of time.

They’ve listened well, built wisely, and now they can move forward without fear of getting burned.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH

Preparation makes all the difference. The sand will get hot—that’s inevitable. But whether you get burned or not... that’s entirely up to you.

Don’t let your school be the one caught barefoot, scrambling under pressure. Whether it’s tuition aid or community feedback, or other important decisions. You’ll never regret coming prepared.

No one enjoys a day at the beach when their feet are on fire.

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 Authored by Clint Holden 

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