启明星人| 执行董事许尚杰：温和的外表下，有着坚定的意志和决心

启明星人 4/20

加入一个社区的理由可以有很多，但最能让我们对它产生归属感和认同感的，往往是它包容、暖心的小环境。

启明星就是这样的社区，20年来，大家受到启明星的感召加入它，又共同塑造它。

正值启明星创校20周年之际，我们决定走近20个“启明星人”，展示他们的故事，进而呈现20年的启明星社区丰富而真实的一个个侧面。

本期我们走近的是艾毅教育集团创始人、启明星学校执行董事许尚杰先生。2014年艾毅入资启明星，完成了启明星向K-12学校发展的关键一步。

许尚杰在社会创新课上分享自己的创业经验

许砚和女儿

作为启明星的执行董事，许尚杰先生在这几年有着什么样的经历和思考？他对学校接下来的发展方向又有何打算？这些问题不但让读者好奇，更是每一个启明星家庭发自心底关心的。这一期《启明星人》，由启明星的热心家长许砚特意访问许先生并撰文，将家长们关心的问题和答案一一展示出来。

另外，许先生受访视频片段，我们也一并整理在此，在启明星视频号中播放，欢迎观看。

摸着石头过河

⦿许砚：Jack好，感谢您接受我的采访。虽说我们聊过不少次天儿了，但今天带着采访任务来，我还是有点紧张。

⦿许尚杰：哈哈，我也是。

⦿许砚：知道您很忙，我们开始吧。启明星学校创建于2002年，最早只有十几个孩子，2008年搬到北皋校区，当时有80多个孩子，2014年艾毅集团入资启明星，现在启明星三个校区加起来，有1000多个孩子，包含K到12所有年级，提供IB系统PYP、MYP、DP三个阶段的完整课程，这么回顾一下，学校20年来的发展挺大的。我们感兴趣的是，启明星加入艾毅这8年来，您经历了一个怎样的过程，启明星的办学理念和目标是什么？

⦿许尚杰：8年来我们一直在摸索下一步怎么做，现在回看很清晰，但过程中有很多迷茫，每一步都是摸着石头过河，经历了很多困难，得到了一些教训，也学到很多东西。我觉得这个探索的过程几乎是不可避免的，在这个过程中，原本不清晰的东西变得清晰了。

现在启明星的办学目标和理念很明确。我们要办成一所小而精的学校，坚持幼儿园和小学阶段的品德教育，中学阶段的社会创新项目，培养学术优秀、同时具有高尚品德、无私服务他人、有勇气改变世界的学生。

许尚杰在返校日上和孩子们在一起

两次“考试”

⦿许砚：品德教育和家校共建等社区文化，是启明星自建校以来的两大特点。我知道2014年接管启明星时，您对学校董事会做了一个承诺，就是最大限度保留启明星的文化。我好奇的是，是什么吸引了您，让您做出这样的承诺？

⦿许尚杰：当时我经历了两场“考试”，第一场是跟所有董事见面，第二场是跟启明星家长代表见面。

⦿许砚：这两场面试就很有启明星文化的特点。新投资人加入，要得到家长代表的认可。您是不是那次就觉得启明星和别的学校不太一样？

⦿许尚杰：对，跟家长代表见面，我印象非常深的是家长们问的问题。比如一个家长问，艾毅加入后，有机食物还会保留吗？还有家长问，洗手的手工皂会保留吗？很多问题我现在记不清楚了，总之都是不直接和学术相关的问题，没有一个家长为孩子的学习焦虑。

我在台湾出生、上幼儿园，在美国上小学，在新加坡上中学，又回美国读大学，见过很多学校，但没有任何一所学校像启明星这样。后来我发现启明星的家长们不是不关心学术，而是不只关心学术。除了学术，他们还关心很多其他的东西。

这些事情让我深深感动，让我想做更多

⦿许砚：刚才您说到这8年经历了很多困难，最难的事情是什么？

⦿许尚杰：太多太多了，每一件事都很难，比如跟家长沟通、处理政府关系、用人安排等等，每一件都很难。

⦿许砚：2015年我小女儿在启明星上幼儿园，有一次家长会我看见过您，那时您头发还挺黑的。

⦿许尚杰：是啊，现在我头发都白了。确实，这8年里每一件事都很难，但现在一定让我说的话，最难的是用人，就是把合适的人放到合适的位置上。

⦿许砚：这一点可谓管理的精髓，很不容易啊，甚至可以说是一门艺术了，您有什么心得吗？

⦿许尚杰：还谈不上，还在学习中。

⦿许砚：经历了这么多事情，您个人有收获吗？

⦿许尚杰：有很多收获。比如前段疫情紧张的时候，食堂员工因为担心每天通勤会增加把病毒带进校园的风险，就主动住在校内。可校内居住条件比较简单，家长们听说了，自发连夜给食堂员工送过夜物资。这样的小事在启明星非常多，说明大家形成合力了，主动往同一个目标冲，社区有了自己的生命力，这些特别让我感动，也是我最大的收获。

（上）支援学校餐厅的工作

（左）和获得月度核心价值观奖项的孩子们共进午餐

⦿许砚：是的，那件事情我也知道，一两位家长在年级群里发起，一两个小时就凑齐了所有物资并且送到学校了，寒冷的冬夜爱的双向奔赴，很感人。

⦿许尚杰：正是这些事情让我深深感动，让我想做更多。

“第五天学校”

⦿许砚：加入启明星时，除了承诺保留学校的文化，对办学您有自己的想法吗？

⦿许尚杰：我第一次跟学校董事们见面时，他们也问了这个问题，当时是初生牛犊不怕虎，我说我想办一所“第五天学校”。

⦿许砚：“第五天学校”是什么意思？

⦿许尚杰：“第五天学校”的意思是一周五天，学生用四天在课堂上学知识，第五天不上课，实践做事。

⦿许砚：啊，社会创新项目的想法那时就有了。

⦿许尚杰：对。

⦿许砚：您感到启明星原有的文化跟您这个想法可以兼容？

⦿许尚杰：是的。启明星有五个核心价值观，品德教育也非常好，这些是基础，在幼儿园和小学阶段可以内化、形成孩子的价值观。到了中学，孩子的能力增强了，他们需要、也应该用行动把内在的价值观践行出来，去帮助别人，服务社会，影响社会，这就是社会创新项目要做的事。

在2022年力求改变的路演现场与学生攀谈

参加三里屯校区2021年社会创新日

⦿许砚：这就是“第五天学校”。

⦿许尚杰：是的。社会创新项目是去年启动的，经验还不多，但已经有一些非常好的实践，学生的反馈也很好。

⦿许砚：我看到学校的报道了，那些项目有属于孩子的新颖视角，以及这个年龄段学生特有的社会责任感和热情。我觉得在学校教育里能做一些事，把青少年的目光从只关注个人成就引导到关注他人和社会，思考和尝试能为别人、为社会做些什么，在这个时代特别特别重要。

创新、稳定和师资

⦿许砚：启明星的联合创始人Dawn Vermilya女士说过，启明星的出现本身就是一个社会创新项目。创新在启明星有很多体现，比如课程体系，但是创新和稳定之间也需要平衡，启明星怎么处理创新和稳定的关系?

⦿许尚杰：首先要有系统性和框架，在系统性和框架内进行创新。现在已经有了清晰的框架，创新是为了探索更好、更有效的方法，这样的创新和稳定就能达到平衡。

⦿许砚：说到这儿，我想跟您确认一下，启明星师资的稳定性很好，对吧？

⦿许尚杰：一般来说国际学校教师的流动率是25%，启明星远远低于这个数字，去年的流动率是3%，今年大约是10%，这个数字还包含考核不合格没有续约的老师。

⦿许砚：老师稳定性高，好还是不好？

⦿许尚杰：老师稳定性高好不好，关键要看有没有好的教师考评系统，启明星的教师考评系统已经完善了，40%是硬性目标，主要是学生学术进步的数据，60%是软性目标，包括老师的教学方法、课堂管理、学生归属感等等。

和老师们在一年一度的谢师宴上

⦿许砚：考评不合格的老师会被辞退吗？好老师很难招，不怕招不到更好的老师吗？

⦿许尚杰：如果老师考评不合格，我们首先会和他探讨哪里可以做得更好，如果还没有进步，就不再续约。招到并留住好老师需要在几个方面综合下功夫，第一，学校的理念和文化能吸引好老师；第二，招聘渠道要广；第三，待遇要好。启明星在教育方面的使命感很强，社区归属感也很强，能把所有教职员工——不只是授课教师——凝聚在一起；品德教育、社会创新项目的理念：勇气、改变、激励，也吸引了一批认同这些理念的好老师。

营收持续投入于学校发展

⦿许砚：您这么一分析我就放心了，同时我想到另一个问题——有这么一种说法，启明星的硬件设施不够好，但我发现这个说法其实不准确。除了受限于场地有些设施无法提供之外，校园里的其他设备设施都很好，比如尖端的教学设备，高端的实验仪器，6年级开始给每个学生配苹果电脑……更别提其中很多细节了，像物美价优的新款校服，玉米淀粉做的环保餐盒。

我还听膳食委员会的家长代表说，她去学校后厨参观很吃惊，用的是品质非常好的有机酱油，洗菜用藏青盐，调料、洗洁精这些，比家里用的都讲究。这些不为公众所见的地方都如此讲求品质，我想，是不是学校所有设备设施，都按照很高的标准提供的？学校开销不小，那么怎样保持收支平衡？

⦿许尚杰：2020年我和启明星创始股东蔡金勇先生一起回购了所有其他股东的股份，从那时起我们确立非营利的办学原则，所有学费都用于学校的发展；另外我们还给学校提供了长期发展的资金，确保学校能够良性发展。

之所以这样做，一方面是为了一个理想，希望通过办学影响一些人，让这些人有勇气也有能力改变这个世界，让世界变得更好；另一方面，艾毅收购启明星时，蔡先生只计算了自己的资金投入，一分钱都没加，要知道那时正是国际学校市场最好的时候，所以我很感动，就想接过启明星老股东手里的接力棒，把学校办下去，办好。

⦿许砚：我听了也很感动，两位志同道合的人，一起担着理想往前走。心中有理想，又注重做实事，做事时讲求科学的方式，这三者结合，启明星未来可期啊！

⦿许尚杰：谢谢你的信任。启明星是一个紧密团结的社区，启明星的家长、所有教职员工，都给了学校很大支持，这是我信心和力量的来源，也让我想做更多的事情。

对家长的期待

⦿许砚：有不少家庭考虑加入启明星，您对这些家长有什么期待吗？

⦿许尚杰：我想跟家长分享，把孩子的教育目标放远一点。家长应该思考的是教育孩子做怎样的人、做怎样的事、如何让孩子获得真正的快乐，而不只是考虑孩子上大学，更不是考虑如何花最少的力气让孩子进入最好的大学。

和学生们在实习项目汇报会上

⦿许砚：上大学不是唯一目标。

⦿许尚杰：对，进好大学很重要，因为在大学能获取能力帮助别人。

⦿许砚：家长都希望孩子快乐，您觉得真正的快乐来自哪里？

⦿许尚杰：来自好的品德和服务他人。

⦿许砚：社会创新项目就是鼓励和帮助孩子们走上这样一条道路。

⦿许尚杰：是的。

后记

写这篇文章时，学校正在开展网课。许先生说有一天他在学校，路过一间教室，听到里面有人大喘气，进去一看，原来是一位体育老师在给孩子们上线上体育课，许先生就跟着上了一节，结果累得趴在地上了，由此知道一节体育课的运动量真不小。我心想，唔，人称双语体校的启明星的掌舵人，体育不行啊。

不过，体育不行的许先生在温和的外表下，有着坚定的意志和决心，他承诺的事情正在一件件实现。之前我在一篇文章里称启明星是“一所被低估的学校”，现在想说它也是“一所可以期待的学校”。

—— 许砚，启明星的一位老家长

DAYSTARer 4/20

There are many reasons to join a community, but we experience the greatest sense of belonging from those with a warm, inclusive atmosphere.

Daystar is such a community. For over two decades, people have been inspired to join Daystar, and together we have shaped it.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of Daystar. In recognition of this moment, we decided to interview 20 Daystar community members so that they could tell their stories and present a detailed image of the Daystar community:

Today, we have invited Mr. Jack Hsu, Founder of Ivy Education Group and Daystar Executive Board Member, for an interview. Mr. Hsu made Daystar a part of Ivy Education Group in 2014 and laid the groundwork for Daystar’s evolution toward becoming a K-12 school.

Jack Hsu in the Social Innovation class

Xv Yan

 & daughter

As the executive board member of Daystar, what has Mr. Hsu experienced and thought about over the past few years? What is his plan for guiding the school forward in the future? These questions are of interest to readers as well as a deep concern for every Daystar parent. Because of this, in addition to inviting Mr. Hsu, Daystar parent Xv Yan to conduct the interview on behalf of the parents.

The video interview cilp with Mr. Hsu is available here as well as on the Daystar WeChat Video Channel. Please follow us and enjoy the video.

Crossing the River 

by Feeling the Stones

⦿Yan (Xv Yan)：Hello, Jack. Thank you for accepting this interview. We have talked with each other many times, but I still feel nervous in this formal interview.

⦿Jack：Haha, me too.

⦿Yan：Haha, I know you are busy, so let’s get started. Daystar was founded in 2002, with only a dozen students. It moved to the Beigao campus in 2008, and had more than 80 students at that time. In 2014, Ivy Education Group invested in Daystar. Now, with the three campuses combined, there are about 1,100 students covering K-12, and the school offers IB PYP, MYP, and DP courses. So, looking back now, Daystar has come a long way in the past 20 years.We would like to know about what you have experienced over the past 8 years after Daystar became part of Ivy. And what are Daystar’s educational philosophy and mission?

⦿Jack：Over the past 8 years, we have tried and explored a lot of things. When we look back now, everything seems clear and simple, but at the time, we actually had a lot of confusion and questions. So, we crossed the river by feeling the stones; we experienced a lot, overcame difficulties, and learned many lessons. The hardships and obstacles were mostly inevitable because they paved the way for us and made our goals clearer.

The educational philosophy and mission are clear and specific. We want to build Daystar into a small, yet excellent school dedicated to offering moral education for kindergarten and primary school. For middle school, the focus is on the Social Innovation Program. This is done to cultivate students with excellent academic performance and character, a spirit of selflessness, and the courage to make a difference.

Talking to students on Back to School Day

Two Interviews

⦿Yan：Since Daystar’s founding, the moral education and community culture established by the school and families have been two special characteristics of the school. I know that when you took charge of Daystar in 2014, you made a promise to the Board that you would do your best to maintain the school culture. I’d like to know why you made such a promise.

⦿Jack：I had two interviews back then. The first was with the Board members and the second was with parent representatives.

⦿Yan：Both interviews were characterized by Daystar culture. Whenever a new investor joins the Board, he or she must be approved by parent representatives. Did you feel that this was quite different from other schools?

⦿Jack：Yes, the most memorable part was answering questions from the parent representatives. For example, one parent asked if students would still receive organic food once the school joined Ivy. Another parent asked whether we would keep the handmade soaps for hand washing. There were so many other questions. I don’t quite remember now. But none of them were about academic performance. None of the parents were worried about their children’s studies.

I was born in Taiwan and went to kindergarten there. Then I attended primary school in America, middle school in Singapore, and went back to America for university. I’ve seen many schools and many parents, but Daystar parents seem the most relaxed when it comes to academics. I later found out that they do care about their children’s academic performance, but that’s not the only thing they care about; they care about many other things as well.

Things that Touched Me Deeply

 and Motivated Me to Do More

⦿Yan：You just said you’ve been through a lot of hardships during the past 8 years. What was the most difficult?

⦿Jack：There were too many. Everything is quite difficult—communicating with parents, dealing with government officials, arranging staff, and many other things all came with challenges.

⦿Yan：In 2015, my daughter was studying at Daystar ELC, and I saw you once at the parents’ meeting. You had black hair back then.

⦿Jack：Yes, now my hair’s nearly all white. It’s true that nothing about the job has been easy during the past 8 years. But if I had to choose one, I think the hardest part is knowing how to utilize people—putting the right person in the right position.

⦿Yan：That’s the core of management. It’s not easy and can be said to be an art. Do you have any insights into it?

⦿Jack：I am still learning.

⦿Yan：After going through all this, have you achieved anything personally?

⦿Jack：So many things. For example, when the epidemic situation was very tense, the school cafeteria staff were worried that it might be more risky to bring the virus into the school, so they decided to live on campus instead of commuting everyday. But the living conditions on campus were quite simple, so as soon as parents heard about the situation, they made an overnight delivery of supplies. There have been so many things like this that demonstrate the strength and vitality of the Daystar community as everyone helps one another to reach the same goal. I have been deeply touched by these things, and they are my greatest achievements.

（Above）

Supporting cafeteria staff 

（Left）Having lunch with students awarded with Core Value Awards

⦿Yan：Yes, I also heard about the supply delivery. A couple of parents made the proposal in the chatgroup, and within two hours, they gathered everything and delivered it to the campus. It was very touching to see how the parents and staff care for each other on such a cold winter night.

⦿Jack：These things have touched me deeply and motivated me to do more.

“Fifth Day School”

⦿Yan：When you joined Daystar, other than promising to maintain the school culture, did you have your own ideas about running the school?

⦿Jack：The first time I met with the Board members, they asked the same question. I said I wanted to build it into a “Fifth Day School.”

⦿Yan：What do you mean by that?

⦿Jack：“Fifth Day School” means that of the five school days in each week, students spend four days having class, and put what they have learned into practice on the fifth day.

⦿Yan：Ah, you already had the initial idea for the Social Innovation Program back then.

⦿Jack：Right.

⦿Yan：Did you think the original Daystar culture was compatible with your idea?

⦿Jack：That’s right. Daystar has five core values and excellent moral education. Based on this foundation, we help students develop their own values during kindergarten and primary school. When they get to middle school, they become more capable, so they need to put these values into action to help others, serve, and make a difference in society. That’s what we do through the Social Innovation Program.

Talking with students on Pitching for Change 2022

Attending SI Day at Sanlitun Campus

⦿Yan：So that’s “Fifth Day School.”

⦿Jack：Yes. We initiated the Social Innovation Program last year, so we don’t have a lot of experience. But we already have had some great methods and have received positive feedback from students.

⦿Yan：I saw the school reports. The projects show the students’ own perspectives, social responsibility, and passion. I think it is extremely important in this era to guide teenagers away from only caring about personal achievement to having concern for others and society and trying to make a difference.

Innovation, Stability, and Faculty

⦿Yan：Daystar co-founder Ms. Dawn Vermilya once said, the existence of Daystar itself is a social innovation program. Daystar embraces innovation in many aspects, such as the curriculum system. But there has to be a balance between innovation and stability. How does Daystar handle this balance?

⦿Jack：First, we need a systematic framework that we can use to carry out innovation. Now that there is a clear framework, we can innovate to explore better and more effective methods. This helps us to strike a balance between innovation and stability.

⦿Yan：Now that you’ve mentioned it, I just want to confirm the stability of Daystar’s faculty. The teacher stability is quite high, right?

⦿Jack：Our faculty team is very stable. The turnover rate of Daystar this year is 10% while last year is 3%. Both years' are much lower than the average for private schools that is 25%.

⦿Yan： Is this good or bad with such a high teacher stability?

⦿Jack： Whether it is a good thing depends on whether there is an excellent teacher evaluation system. At Daystar, we have perfected our evaluation system, which is divided into 40 percent hard goals, such as student academic improvement, and 60 percent soft goals, such as teaching method, classroom management, and student sense of belonging.

Attending yearly Staff Appreciation

⦿Yan：Will the teachers who fail the evaluation be fired? It’s already hard to find good teachers. If you fire them, won’t it be difficult to find someone better?

⦿Jack: If a teacher fails the evaluation, we will discuss the issue with them first and try to find ways for them to improve. If we still don’t see any improvement, then we will not renew the contract. Recruiting and retaining good teachers requires comprehensive efforts in several areas. First, we can attract good teachers with our educational philosophy and school culture. Second, we must use multiple recruitment channels and sources. Third, we need to provide a decent salary. At Daystar, we have a strong educational mission and a strong sense of community. These factors don’t just attract teachers, they also bring our faculty and staff together. In addition, we attract excellent teachers with our moral education concepts and Social Innovation Program, which promote having the courage to change and inspire.

Invested all of the Tuition Income into School Development

⦿Yan：Your words are very reassuring. I just remembered that some people say Daystar’s facilities are not good enough. Of course, I don’t agree. Other than limitations due to space, Daystar has done its best to provide outstanding facilities and equipment, such as advanced teaching equipment and high-end lab instruments. School also provides Macbooks to students from G6 and above. It has also concerned itself with the fine details such as high-quality, affordable new school uniforms and environmentally-friendly meal boxes made from corn starch.

I’ve also heard from a parent representative on the catering committee that she was amazed when she visited the school’s cafeteria kitchen. The seasonings and dishwashing liquid were superior to what we use at home. For example, Daystar uses high-quality salt and expensive soy sauce. If everything behind the scenes is of such quality, then I believe all the equipment and facilities at Daystar are provided according to the strictest standards. The school must have a lot of expenses. How does Daystar break even?

⦿Jack:In 2020, Daystar’s founding shareholder Mr. Cai Jinyong and I bought back all of the shares held by other shareholders. We also invested all of the tuition income into school development and decided Daystar to be non profit school. In addition, we provided Daystar with long-term development funds to ensure the school’s healthy development.

On the one hand, my dream is to influence and inspire others by managing Daystar and to encourage them to make this world a better place. On the other hand, when Daystar merged with Ivy in 2015, Mr. Cai offered a purchasing price that just covered his investment; nothing more. He could have asked for a lot more because international schools were extremely popular at that time. I was very touched, and all I wanted to do was take up the baton and continue to make Daystar outstanding.

⦿Yan：I’m also touched by your story. Two like-minded people sharing the same vision march ahead side by side as they carry their ideals and implement things in a practical and right way. Daystar definitely has a bright future.

⦿Jack：Thank you for your confidence. Daystar is a close-knit community. The parents and faculty have done so much to support the school. This is a great source of confidence and strength and makes me want to do more for Daystar.

Expectations for Parents

⦿Yan：Many families are considering joining Daystar. Do you have any expectations for these parents?

⦿Jack：I’d like to advise them to set longer educational goals for their children. Parents should think about what kind of people they want their kids to grow into, what kind of things they should do, and how to give them true happiness, instead of how to put in the least amount of effort to get their kids into the best universities.

Discussing with students about their internship programs

⦿Yan：Being admitted to a university is not the only goal.

⦿Jack：Right. Getting into a good university is important, but that is because students acquire the ability to help others while at university.

⦿Yan：Parents want their kids to be happy. But where do you think true happiness comes from?

⦿Jack：From having a good character and a spirit of serving and helping others.

⦿Yan：The Social Innovation Program is designed to encourage students to embark on such a path.

⦿Jack：Yes.

Postscript

As this article is being written, Daystar has already started online lessons. Jack told me that as he was walking past a classroom on campus one day, he heard someone panting heavily. He walked in and saw a PE teacher, conducting an online lesson for students. Jack stayed there and exercised with them. After only one class, he was too tired to move, and he suddenly realized how much exercise Daystar students need to do every day. I thought to myself, well, the leader of Daystar does need some exercise.

However after having an in-depth interview with Jack, I found strength and determination behind his gentle appearance. The things he promised are being realized. In one of my previous articles, I called Daystar “an underrated school,” and now I’d like to give it another title: “a school with promise.” 

——Xv Yan

END

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