From the Desk of the Head of School- October 4, 2019

9/30/2019

Dear Parents,

I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the downright chilly eighty-five degree weather we are experiencing this afternoon. I also hope to see you this evening for our Insight Series with ML Phillpott, Harding Parent and nationally bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink - it should be a great event. Her talk on Doing Life “Right” Means Getting Things Wrong resonates with what we do each day here at Harding Academy as we shape our students into thoughtful, creative, lifelong learners and self-disciplined, responsible, caring citizens.

It is in this vein that I am excited to announce that we have launched a national search for a Director of Teaching and Learning. As I mentioned in my email last week, Latricia Phillips, Director of Educational Planning and Testing, will be retiring at the end of this school year. In considering the needs of the school moving forward, it became clear that reimagining that position into something that will be responsible for the continuity, alignment and innovation of the PreK-8 program and the implementation of strategic initiatives as they relate to the program at the school, will serve Harding Academy well now and in the future. As you know, we have recently embarked on a strategic planning process and I expect that we will need an educational leader to help shepherd the goals related to dynamic teaching and learning that will no doubt evolve from that process.

The Director of Teaching and Learning will have three main areas of focus: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty; and professional development. This person will be on the Leadership Team and report directly to the Head of School. I am excited to see how this position can support and amplify the work of Jay Codispoti and Laura Underwood in their respective divisions. This individual will also be someone who can inspire and collaborate with our exceptionally high performing faculty.

We find ourselves in a time of change - in fact the only constant our children will experience is change. As a learning community in this context, we strive to build on an incredibly strong program and grow in a way that supports our students for the world in which they will live, work and lead. The Director of Teaching and Learning will help lead us in this endeavor and I look forward to keeping you updated on the search as it unfolds.

Have a great weekend!

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