School Awaits Momentous Decision
by Tim Trovillion
Layout Editor
In just a year from now, Dr. Shahan will be handing out diplomas for the last time. The role of the Headmaster at Burroughs has always been critically important to the school. The average JBS Headmaster has stayed with the school about twenty years before retiring. To find a replacement to fill the role as John Burroughs Headmaster, the board has appointed a search committee to find the proper person. A group of consultants from a company called Educational Collaborative has been hired to find a person best suited to the Burroughs environment. Their job is to get acquainted with the John Burroughs community: its traditions, students, parents, alumni, and faculty. With this information, they can begin the search for the next Headmaster.
Recently the consultants, Jim Maggart and Kathy Betz, held meetings with parents, faculty, students, and other members of the Burroughs community to get their input about John Burroughs and the qualifications for a new headmaster. Every group of constituents that met was assured that their views were important and the content of the meetings was confidential.
With the consultants' permission, I was lucky to sit in on a parents' meeting to find out what the consultants were asking and what parents think is important to Burroughs. The first questions asked were "What are the strengths and core values of the school, the things that you cherish? Why did you send your kids to Burroughs?" Some of the obvious responses were the highly academic environment, the independence each student has, the liberal arts education, and the small classes. Another strength was that Burroughs teaches students to think, analyze, and reason, instead of just to learn facts. They also mentioned the high quality of Burroughs faculty, and that they want to continue employing such faculty. Also, the arts department and the emphasis Burroughs puts on the creative arts as part of an education was highly valued.
The second question the consultants asked was "What are the challenges facing the school, both immediate and long term?" One concern was balancing the academics, arts, athletics, community service and extracurricular activities for Burroughs students. Another challenge was teaching students global awareness, perhaps expanding the curriculum to include Chinese, Global Issues, and other courses. Parents said a new Headmaster should continue to recruit good teachers, manage the Burroughs checkbook, be involved in fund-raising, especially with Dr. Shahan's ambitious Master Plan, and make JBS a diverse community.
The third and final question asked was "What are the qualities and characteristics desired in the next Head of School?" The parents immediately responded that it must be someone who respects the traditions of Burroughs but who will not be afraid to make changes to the school. They said that a new headmaster should, just as Dr. Shahan does, have a passion for the school: attend pep rallies, games, plays and musicals, and sit in on classes. A new Headmaster should try to learn students' names and be willing to talk with them in informal settings. A new Headmaster should allow the faculty autonomy to build their own curricula, create courses, and use books they think are most appropriate. Mostly, though, a new headmaster should love John Burroughs School.
In addition to sitting in on the parents' session, I had the privilege of interviewing a student invited to a student session. The students were asked the same three questions as every other group interviewed by the consultants. The students, however, seemed to focus on the traditions of Burroughs as most important. Even the small things, from Dr. Shahan's Almanac readings in assembly to where each grade sits in the commons, are significant to the student experience; students said they would like to come back to Burroughs in ten years and recognize and remember their time at this school. Students said they enjoyed the arts program and hoped the excellence in that department would continue.
One of the challenges students voiced was improving the relationship between the lower school students and the upperclassmen. Some of the most important qualities sought in a Headmaster included being nice and approachable by the students. The students called for a Head of School who would come to school events and greet students with a smile and a short conversation. They recommended that any prospective Headmaster speak with the faculty, especially the teachers who have been with Burroughs for many years, in order to get a feel for Burroughs and its environment. Perhaps potential candidates could speak to the students in assembly so students can get to know them and candidates can begin to appreciate the value and uniqueness of the Burroughs student body and of morning assembly. Mainly, the students want to keep Burroughs how it is now for future generations.
It is clear that the parents and students agree on exactly what type of Headmaster Burroughs needs. The meetings held by the consultants included everyone from Building and Grounds staff to specific faculty and committee members. All the suggestions these people have given to the consultants will aid them in finding the best future Head of the School. The process for finding a new head of school is a complex one; it is progressing at a rapid pace, for the search committee has set a goal of interviewing potential candidates in the fall of 2008 with the ultimate goal of hiring a new head by year's end.