Parents’ Corner

LEARNING BY ENGAGING

BY MITAL PATEL City and Country School is exceptional in many ways, and one of its greatest strengths is its warm and supportive community. As Parent Representative to the Board of Trustees, I am deeply appreciative of the connections I have made across C&C, both formally and informally, through this role. The work of the Board encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and activities, and since becoming a Trustee, I have been able to engage with the School in ways that have enriched my experience as a community member and deepened my understanding of how C&C operates and prepares for the future.

So why is there a Board of Trustees at C&C? The School didn’t always have one—it was formed as a result of our community’s coming together in a time of need. In January of 1982, C&C was a teacher cooperative governed by an Executive Committee. The School was facing falling enrollment and financial difficulties, and the faculty had voted to close the then 68-year-old school at the end of the academic year. In response, a small group of passionate alumni contacted other C&C graduates to tell them about the School’s troubles. They knew how incredibly special C&C was, how positively it had affected their lives, and how long their experiences had stayed with them after they left. They wanted to preserve the School for those who would come after them, giving future generations the opportunity to learn and experience education in the same profound way. Caroline Pratt had been so confident in her vision for C&C that she believed the money would always somehow come—and in this case, it did. Taking matters into their own hands, this ad hoc committee of alumni secured enough financial pledges within weeks to ensure the School would be able to remain open the following fall, and for years to come. With this incredible show of support, the Executive Committee voted unanimously to transfer their

Original by-laws of City and Country School (c. 1922)

administrative powers to a newly-formed Board of Trustees, composed of five alumni and two parents. With the dissolution of the cooperative, the Board was very conscientious and purposeful about preserving the ethos and philosophy of the School, and as such, one of the first committees formed was the Education Committee, which acts as an advisory body to the Principal. Ed Committee, as it is commonly called today, seeks to maintain the voice of the faculty in discussions about C&C’s educational program and other matters important to the School, preserving the essence of its teacher cooperative origins. The Board has grown considerably since this first iteration, and there are now 21 members, including parents, alumni, alumni parents, teachers, and friends of the School. The founding purpose of the Board—to preserve the School and safeguard Caroline Pratt’s vision—still inspires the Trustees in their work today.

So what is it like to be a Trustee? The Board’s work is spread across 13 committees, indicative of the tremendous amount of dedication and thoughtfulness that goes into ensuring both the financial health of the School and the overall wellness of our community. The wide range of committees, including Facilities and Finance, offers many different ways to get involved. During my first year, I had the privilege of participating in the Division Directors search, and through that process, I gained a deeper understanding of the needs of parents— and of teachers—with regard to educational leadership.

Parents’ Corner is a space where current parents write about their experiences at City and Country School. We’ve asked current Parent Representative to C&C’s Board of Trustees, Mital Patel (Siya, XsG and Iyla, VIIsR), to share her thoughts. She’s written a piece about learning more about the history of the Board and engaging with the School and the C&C community in new ways.