December is a wonderful month to write for the Parents Council of Washington. I appreciate this opportunity to turn my thoughts to a much wider population. I wish to write about the true treasure of an independent education.
There are so many options in the greater metro area—schools which are excellent choices for so many different needs, a fit for every child!
As Dr. Michael Thompson, a nationally recognized psychologist, author, consultant to independent schools, and recent guest speaker at The Woods Academy pointed out, the four things that make a great school are: a high faculty culture; strong collaborative faculty; enriched, challenging curriculum; and small class size, i.e. where your child is known! Are we not blessed to live in this area where we can count on these assets in our independent schools? This summer I had the great pleasure of attending an Experienced Head Workshop in Winston Salem, presented by the Southern Association of Independent Schools. I qualified because I was beginning my 14th year as head. Prior to coming, I was asked by one of the workshop’s presenters to share with all the heads and their significant others a “Going Forth” speech. I was extremely honored and absolutely petrified by the offering, for what did I have to say to my esteemed colleagues, especially, after receiving the 40 page speech delivered by last year’s head speaker. I thought and racked my brain to find the right words to deliver to these other experienced heads; I prayed as well.
In the end it was easy. I wanted to share with my esteemed colleagues what a fabulous job it was to be the head of an independent school. I began by giving a short overview of an essay about the perfect head entitled, “The Perfect Headmaster” by W. Ebmeyer, a short essay I came across by a former head of school, identifying the qualities of such. It begins; The Perfect Head always has the right thing to say to everyone. He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. He condemns parental neglect roundly, but he never hurts anyone’s feelings. He works from 7:30 a.m. to midnight and is also the school’s chief janitor and watchman. The Perfect Head earns $5,000 per year, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, has a large family, and donates money to the Annual Fund. He visits 15 classrooms a day and is always in his office to be available for instant parent conferences… It continues on with a few more qualifications and ends with; The Perfect Head is always in the next nearest school!
My message was that we can laugh at ourselves, but these are expectations that we all try to fulfill in one way or another! In the world of independent schools in the Washington area, we too are blessed with great heads of schools. These heads collaborate and respect one another. They work together to create a collegial atmosphere among the leaders. To quote Mother Teresa, as a new young nun to her spiritual advisor, “When do you know that you have found your true calling?” He responded, “The true sign is when you experience joy.” I truly believe that as heads of independent schools we have many opportunities for joy, and we have one of the most envious positions in the world—a “calling” to lead in education. I wanted to remind them… and share a few reasons here. For:
“Where else can you have the opportunity to lead, guide, and influence so many children’s lives?”
“Where else can you work every day with self-aware professionals who embody a strong work ethic with a commitment to others and a passion for their chosen career?”
“Where else can you have a pulpit (written or verbal) where you can share your moral messages?”
“Where else can you have the latest teaching tools, texts, supplies and access to the latest technology for purposes of teaching?”
“Where else can you have leadership that is collaborative which involves all the school’s constituency in order to work toward the mission and common goals?”
“Where else can you greet each new day with enthusiasm…for the day is full of challenges that requires change and growth?”
“Where else can you witness the beauty of maturity, academic, and social growth of a child that you feared would never make it?”
It is easy to take for granted the independent education offerings in this metro area. It is when you look around and know that we are surrounded with exceptional schools with exceptional leaders that we find our true treasures.
