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This school year is more than halfway home. What has struck you so far?
A great deal! We have had quite a year in many ways. Change is definitely on the horizon, and I am looking forward to the exciting journey ahead of us. The school is experiencing a time of renewal and innovation with the roll out of a new strategic plan, new instructional model, S.A.G.E., facilities facelift, and a roll call for loyalty, support, courage, leadership, integrity, and renewed commitment.
Sounds like there has been a lot of progress.
Absolutely. Progress cannot happen without everyone on the team pulling together and helping each other. One of the most rewarding things for me this year has been the strong support of a Board of Trustees committed to the new vision for school reform and enthusiasm toward the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Just as our 55 Founding Fathers forged a new government 238 years ago, we have a core group of school leaders, teachers, and parents with that same vision and commitment who will stay the course to lead the Galloway School into the 21st Century with gusto and integrity.
Would you share a bit of your educational philosophy?
Sure. My philosophy of education is pretty basic. Keep the students at the center of any decision you make as an educator. Children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. You first have to show children how much you care. Once you have made that sincere connection, learning will come naturally. Expect everyone to achieve! Treat every student with the care, respect and passion you would want from your child’s or grandchild’s teacher. Make every student believe that they can do anything or reach any goal they are willing to work hard toward achieving. Students need praise, respect, discipline, consistency, and inspiration. Everyday should be a day that students don’t want to miss. Give them a reason to want to come to school. Teachers should leave their troubles outside the schoolhouse doors and enter the classroom with a contagious enthusiasm for learning. Celebrate each child’s individual differences and talents. Love them all and show that love often!
The best teachers are lifelong learners. Research shows that the quality of the classroom teacher has a greater impact on learning than any other school-related (as opposed to family-related) factor. In the strongest academic schools, a commitment to continuous learning is pervasive. I personally want to ensure that funding is available to support adult learning and professional growth. In the new Galloway, we will focus more resources and time on professional development. This will be our ticket to Galloway’s brightest days.
Last, Galloway's core mission and Christian values must frame the ever-present question: What skills and qualities should graduates be able to demonstrate to be fully prepared for college and for life in a rapidly evolving competitive world? How do we prepare our graduates for success in life?
What do you believe are Galloway’s strengths?
The student-centeredness of the teachers stands out. Our faculty has grown strong academically in recent years; especially as the Upper School (which is now in its 15th year) has come into its own with an array of honors and advanced placement courses. Many Galloway graduates are well-prepared to enter the finest schools, colleges and universities in the world, and the proof lies with the testimonies of our highly successful alumni.
Galloway students understand the importance of teamwork to developing character. Our school seeks to develop the whole child: mind, heart and body. The school-wide athletic program has made tremendous strides in recent years.
What do you see as our greatest challenge?
Having spoken about this at length with our faculty, students, and parents, I sense that the school has come a mighty long way in a short time- but we are still a young school. There is a consensus that in our next chapter the school should continue to strengthen its academic program while holding fast to its core Christian mission. The best schools never stand still, but ask relentlessly of themselves how to improve.
Ultimately, Galloway will only be as strong as the integrity and professionalism of its teachers. We must provide them with first class professional development, resources, and compensation. As a school we must invest more in our faculty. One of my primary goals is to ensure our salaries and benefits can compete with any school in the area. We know our working environment provides a positive incentive for teachers. We just need to match the working conditions with competitive salaries.
Finally, I believe we – all of us who are stakeholders – can share the Galloway story more intentionally around the Houston Bay Area. Galloway is a gem of a school. We should be confident and enthusiastic in telling others about who we are and how we prepare young people for lives of purpose and service.
Anything else you would like to share?
Let us all be reminded…
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
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