Berwick Academy Head of School

When I walked into the Upper School faculty meeting this past Tuesday morning, I should not have been surprised by the sense of despair in the room on the heels on a weekend that involved a horrific car crash of one of their colleagues. After making a few comments about empathy and logistics for the week, there were no questions. Ironically, when I visited Upper School History teacher Lucy Pollard for the first time after her accident, I had completely lost my voice. I told her it was appropriate, given that there were no words to ease the reality of what had taken place. That being said, I left the faculty meeting a bit early and headed to assembly. Our students were already there. I am quite sure many of them were despondent as well, and yet they were still adolescent kids – chatting with each other after a long weekend, catching up on the latest news. While I needed to make some sobering comments in assembly, by lunchtime there was that familiar buzz in the Commons lunchroom. W...

Heads of School know that January/February is the absolute pinnacle of the high paced reality of running a school. So many things come together at once: admission decisions, contracts for employees, snow days, and hiring jump to mind. I have always felt that bringing new talent to campus is likely the most important role of a Head of School. Without question finding people with the right skill set and temperament to make classrooms come alive is essential to the future of the school and the experience of your children. Yet we also know hiring is an imperfect science. It is a blend of art and science when one tries to understand not just skills but ultimately the nebulous notion of “match” with the institution. It is one of the most enrapturing parts of my job – trying to formulate questions that will somehow unravel the mystery of hiring one candidate at a time. At the end of it all, there is always a blend of personal emotional intelligence (e.g. relationship-building) that seems...