"Character," "creativity," "real-world problem solving," "communication skills," "teaming," and "leadership" are some of the skills and values that will be expected of graduates. In the conversation about what constitutes a high-quality 21st century school, however, the more complex question is about the varied paths schools might take to achieve these outcomes--as well as the pace and degree of change in an individual school, assuming that at least some change is necessary. Mission-driven independent schools have an opportunity to contextualize their tradition-based commitments to capture those inimitable qualities tied to the people, places, and dynamics that make schools unique. In this re-imagined orientation, traditional has nothing to do with stultifying teacher-imposed lessons delivered to exhausted students required to sit still and be quiet. Rather, teachers and students collaborate to build a shared sense of place and purpose where a unifying set of principles inform present action and future opportunities. In short, innovation for the sake of innovation will not contribute to alumni loyalty or effective adaptation to university life. An education based in a well-understood tradition offers the framework for emotional anchors securing individual direction in a world of constant change. Teaching 21st century skills is clearly important, but it may be the anchoring capacity of traditions that make schools more compelling than ever before.