Reflecting, Questioning, Understanding, and Thinking Aspirationally

by Ruth Burke, Associate Head of School

Earlier this school year, on October 2, 2022, the faculty, staff, and board welcomed the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) visiting committee to campus, marking the beginning of our accreditation visit and the end of an intensive 18-month self-study process. The visiting committee’s three-day visit was the culmination of school-wide collaborative work in assessing how and to what degree ESD is delivering on its mission, identifying what we are doing well, where there is room for improvement, and how we might think more aspirationally about igniting purpose in the lives of our students.

The committee’s visit began with a reception at which they were introduced to our entire faculty and staff. The committee was composed of colleagues at other ISAS schools who brought their expertise and professional experiences in independent schools, representing all facets of school life – from all levels of classroom teaching, student activities, athletics, and the arts to finance, facilities management, technology, and communications. While on campus, they visited almost every classroom to observe ESD’s learning and teaching in process, held divisional and department meetings with faculty, and facilitated conversations with a large variety of staff – admission, college guidance, health services, food service, and more. In addition, a few were charged with taking a deep dive into the school’s policies, procedures, operations, and governance.

Not surprisingly to those of us who live and breathe all things ESD, the visitation committee’s preliminary summary was extremely complimentary of the exceptional efforts of our faculty, staff, and administration and of the strength of our school community.

Although the final approval of ESD’s reaccreditation takes place at an upcoming ISAS Standards Committee meeting, we have received the visiting committee’s report and its vote of confidence for our full reaccreditation. The next few pages outline the timeline of this work, including key highlights, takeaways, and lessons learned from this affirming and growth-oriented process.

The Self Study

The task of the ISAS self study is the heavy lifting and core essence of the accreditation process. It is through this exhaustive work that key themes and discoveries lead to further growth, truly valuable beyond measure. Our self-study work was a learning and growing experience for all involved. The requirements are centered on asking hard questions about how ESD delivers and lives out our mission, allows space for taking pride in all we have accomplished, and encourages having an open mind and open heart in recognizing where growth is needed. The comprehensive nature of the process affirmed how ESD delivers its mission to ignite lives of purpose through an educated conscience and identified those things that are going well and areas of our school that deserve more attention.

Producing a comprehensive report and visit required input from our entire faculty and staff

JANUARY-JULY 2021 PREPARING THE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS OF OUR SELF STUDY

The first emphasis of work in the spring 2021 semester was largely focused on the formation of the Steering Committee. It was important for the Steering Committee to be representative of all three divisions, administration, and staff. Under the direction of the chair, the Steering Committee set the early tone for the self study and preparing for our yearlong conversation around our school’s strengths, challenges, aspirations, and areas for growth and improvement. The initial focus of the committee was to determine how to engage our entire faculty and staff in this work and how we might best receive feedback from parents and students. Through our August in-service engagement activity and the surveys for both parents and our older students, this group paved the way for a transparent and engaging process.

AUGUST 2021 KICKOFF SELF-STUDY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

The first day of our August professional in-service was devoted to the self study. The goal was to educate and engage all employees. Through a fun exercise we termed “Artifactivity,” we began the conversations about pride in ESD, the challenges and opportunities ahead of us, and the hopes and aspirations for our school’s future. In groups of 10, each employee brought an artifact that represented the values of pride, hope, and growth. As examples of what this entailed, please see the following responses from Marcela, Katherine, and Megan.

HOPE During the most challenging times of the pandemic, we never lost hope, and we worked as a team. We learned new things, and we demonstrated that we were the best educators in town. Attending graduation was extremely emotional for me.

PRIDE I’ve been helping coordinate the Eastin Family WORX Internship Program for nine years and am proud of the program’s tremendous growth. Ninety students are participating this year! I’m proud of the students for their preparation (creating resumes, interviewing, and participating in internships), and I’m so proud of how the ESD community at large comes together to support and prepare our students for a world after graduation.

GROWTH/ASPIRATION

I aspire to create a safe space for everyone so every student at ESD can find their place. My job is to continue helping diverse students and families so they can have a real and strong connection with ESD.

HOPE For seven years, I’ve advised ninth and 10th graders and developed a get-to-know-you game to help bring us closer. Each advisee takes turns selecting a question and sharing their responses with the group. I love hearing everyone’s answers to questions like, “What traditions would you most want to pass on to your children?” or “If you opened a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?”

GROWTH/ASPIRATION In College Guidance, we are always trying to introduce students to colleges that they may not be familiar with but that would be great fits for them. I have a bulletin board in my office that contains logos of different colleges. My goal is to fill all of the blank spaces with more schools for students to look up and explore! I often have students and parents send me new items to add to my board! I love that!

HOPE I am so excited and hopeful for the future of ESD. Pom-poms represent school spirit to me, and I believe school spirit embraces all of the three areas, but I selected it for hope. I am hopeful that the school will continue to grow and build like our school spirit has over the years.

GROWTH/ASPIRATION

I would love for the school to continue to find ways to highlight our students, faculty, and families who go above and beyond for ESD.

PRIDE I feel so much pride for ESD, and I am proud to be able to serve the school that has shaped me for 90 percent of my 31 (almost 32) years. I could not be more proud of who we are and where we are going.

SEPTEMBER 202-MARCH 2022

FEEDBACK, EVALUATE, AFFIRM, THINK BIG

Immediately following the engagement activity, 41 teams were formed, covering every aspect of school life – inclusive of all programs, academic and cocurricular, and the school’s operations, from finance and human resources to advancement and facilities. All employees were asked to serve on at least one team, and many volunteered for two. Team leads were charged with facilitating conversations that were open and honest, pushing the team to consider what was going well, what challenges exist, and how that particular program might improve and grow.

An important part of these conversations was the input and feedback we received from parents, middle and upper school students, and all faculty and staff members through constituent surveys. The surveys were shared in early October 2021, and the aggregate and detailed responses were an impactful lever in our conversations.

Each team’s final report followed a template that included an overview of the team’s subject or topic area, strengths, plans and priorities, and recommendations for growth. Several reports also included aspirations for the future.

Faculty and staff members came together on our inservice day after spring break (March 2022) to take part in a schoolwide “share-out” of initial findings and themes from the work of our self-study teams. The engagement and energy of those who participated in this activity were representative of the passion and dedication our faculty and staff members have for this school and their profession. What we learned through this process is that our community will never be satisfied with the status quo. Consistent with the entrepreneurial and restless spirit of our founding years, ESD is always striving to do and be better. ESD is on the trajectory of becoming a great school in every respect. We will take what we have learned from the self-study process and the recommendations of the visiting committee to relentlessly continue on that path forward.

With the additional feedback from this session, the team leads were ready to finish writing their reports, which were due in early May 2022.

Creating a meaningful and comprehensive self study required engaging the entire campus. Many thanks to our team leads.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Eric Boberg, Chair

Zora Skelton, Academic Assessment Lead

Mary Hansell, Educational Technology Lead

Lindsay Cullins, Global Education Lead

Adam Jones, Learning Support Lead

Jenn Jarnigan, Classical & Modern Languages Lead

Tolly Salz, English Lead

Mary Jo Lyons, Libraries Lead

Lauren Redmond ’01, Performing Arts Lead

Evan Hadrick, Physical Education Lead

Maggie Ferris, Mathematics & Computational Thinking Lead

Mary Hansell, Religious & Historical Studies Lead

Amy Henderson, Science Lead

Brenda Hatter, Visual Arts Lead

DIVISIONAL REPORTS

Amy Cuccia, Early Childhood Lead

Tracey Shirey, Elementary Lead

Jon Chein, Middle School Lead

Henry Heil, Upper School Lead

NONACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Ruth Burke, Chair

Meg Fahrenbrook ’01 and Henry Heil, Mission Co-leads

Mary Adair Dockery, Governance Chair, Board of Directors

Dawn Lewis and Bernadette Gerace, Personnel and Administration Co-leads

Mary Hernandez, Finance, Facilities, Food Service, and Institutional Technology Lead, with writing support from

Bryan Barnett, Jay Michael, and Maura Jackson

Elizabeth Goatley, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead

Jon Chein, School Climate Lead

Jeffrey Laba, Student Body Lead

Mary Beth Weinberger, Parent Community Lead

Kam Bakewell, Local Community Lead

Cindy Newsom, Admission and Enrollment Lead

Denis Stokes, Advancement Lead

Claire Mrozek, Advisory Program Lead

Megan Schroeder ’09 and Asia Hawkins ’13, Alumni Relations

Dan Gill, Athletics Lead

Jody Trumble, Campus Security Lead

Chris Gonzales, College Guidance Lead

Julie Clardy, Communications Lead

Courtney Phelps, Community Service Learning Lead

Nate Bostian, Daily Chapel and Episcopal Identity Lead

Cara Holmes, Emotional Wellness Lead

Donna Hull, Extracurricular Activities Lead

Carla Thomas, Health Services Lead

Eddie Eason, Outdoor Education Lead

Mike Schneider, Summer and ESD+ Program Lead

APRIL-MAY 2022 DOCUMENTS, DOCUMENTS, AND MORE DOCUMENTS

One of the most arduous aspects of the self-study process is the compilation of the Documentation of Adherence to Standards (DAS). While the writing of the selfstudy report demands qualitative analysis, reflection, and specific calls to action for school improvement, the DAS is an objective report that includes school data and statistics, critical narrative responses to specific questions, and copies of school policies, handbooks, and publications. Shelle Montgomery, our Director of Tuition Assistance and Data Systems, was asked to lead this part of the self study. Shelle’s vast knowledge of school operations and her attention to detail made her a perfect candidate for this role. I, for one, was extremely grateful she accepted this important responsibility.

JUNE-AUGUST 2022 FINALIZING THE SELF-STUDY REPORT AND DAS

Several of us were extremely busy finalizing the report and the DAS over the summer months, from compiling, proofreading, and organizing the 40+ reports into a streamlined digital and printed document to entering the narrative responses in the DAS portal and collecting all requested documents and materials.

September 2022 Self Study And Das Submitted To Isas

The 148-page self-study report was uploaded to the ISAS portal, and a hardcopy version was mailed to each visiting committee member in early September. Soon thereafter, the DAS was uploaded and shared with ISAS.

While all of this work was going on, we were also preparing for the 21 members of the visiting committee to come to campus in early October. Thanks to the efforts of

Kamaile Anderwald and Sylvia Bogard, every “i” was dotted and “t” crossed, and we were ready!

OCTOBER 2-5, 2022 ISAS VISITING COMMITTEE ON CAMPUS

Preparations for the committee’s three-day visit began more than a year prior. Leaning on Sylvia Bogard’s experience from the accreditation visit in 2012, she and Kamaile Anderwald pulled together the many layers of details to ensure a smooth visit and ESD hospitality for the committee – including hotel accommodations, travel arrangements, meals, supplies, tech support, and documents.

Having read our self-study report prior to their visit, the committee members were ready to see ESD in action. The visit began Sunday evening with a campus tour led by Student Ambassadors and a welcome reception hosted by all faculty, staff, and board members. On Monday and Tuesday, committee members were on campus from 7:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., visiting classrooms throughout campus and meeting with school personnel, board members, students, parents, and alumni. On Tuesday evening, the committee members began writing their individual reports. Wednesday morning was reserved for last-minute conversations, questions, and follow up. At noon, the preliminary report was finished, and later that day, the committee chair, Chris Gunnin, Head of School at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, shared the committee’s overarching findings and feedback with our faculty and staff. The full report, with more detailed feedback on each topic area, will be received later this school year. On April 12, I will be presenting key takeaways, commendations, and recommendations at a community meeting. Look for the meeting notice in the News You Can Use in March.

Emergent Themes

Forty-one teams of faculty and staff were formed in August 2021; shortly thereafter, conversations, reflections, and collaborations on our self-examination commenced. This work afforded all of us the opportunity to consider, explore, discover, question, and validate the programs and systems that fuel our efforts and provide the framework for delivering our mission.

WHAT DID WE LEARN THROUGH OUR SELF-STUDY PROCESS?

This spring, the visiting committee’s full report will be available and distributed to the appropriate offices and departments. Plans will be developed, if not already in process, to implement the recommendations for growth and to continue plans and priorities in place for strengthening our programs. Included here are excerpts taken from the summary conclusion I wrote for our self-study report. I hope these will shed even more light on the impact and importance of this reaccreditation process and how it has contributed to our growth as a school.

Major themes of strength that were omnipresent included:

• Strong understanding of and belief in our mission

• An engaged and passionate community of students, employees, parents, and alumni

• Excellent programs

• Talented faculty and staff members who take pride in their work

• Care for students’ academic, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs

• Financial stability with increased endowment and a balanced budget

Major areas of school life we discovered or affirmed require our attention:

• One Campus, One Community

Gratitude

It truly was an honor and a labor of love to lead ESD’s self-study and reaccreditation process. I have immense gratitude to all who engaged in this work and who have contributed to our school’s growth and maturation over the last 10 years; students, faculty, staff, past and present parents, past and present board members, and countless alumni.

As we approach our school’s 50th anniversary, our programs, infrastructure, and community have never been stronger.

As I commented in my 2022 spring issue Crest article, in the last decade, we have experienced unprecedented challenges, distinctive resilience, and phenomenal growth. I could not be more proud – or more fortunate –to have been a small part of this journey through such a remarkably inspiring time.

The Lower School opened at Merrell Road in August 2019, shortly after many in our community and neighborhood were devastated by a tornado in late October; later that school year, the pandemic hit. The 2021-22 school year was our first full, in-person school year as One Campus, One Community. There remains much work to be done in existing as one campus and community; this work must be prioritized.

• Strengthen and ensure alignment of our curriculum from early childhood through upper school

• Develop regular opportunities for parent education on relevant topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); Episcopal Identity; academic and cocurricular programs; and challenging social or political issues as they relate to our mission and the experiences of our students

• Expand the emotional wellness and learning support programming in middle and upper schools

• Enhance efforts to increase diversity among our employees, students, and families

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Survey Highlights

Understand the school’s mission

Academic program achieves positive results for my child

Teachers are dedicated to student success

Administrators and staff are qualified and professional

Would recommend ESD to a friend or colleague

Good understanding of Episcopal Identity

Communication from school to parents is timely and informative

Effective means for individual communication between parents and school

Consistent/effective approach communicating student concerns/progress

Effective communication of parent expectations

Mission aligns with perception of what is happening in the classroom

Parents feel welcomed and included

Policies are clear and equitable

Understand the school’s mission

School is attentive to campus security and safety

Find the school welcoming and inclusive

Understand Episcopal Identity

School’s program is grounded in the mission School supports professional development

Feel supported by colleagues

Would recommend to other educators

Would recommend to friends/acquaintances for their children

Feel supported by administration

Feel supported by parents

School seeks a diverse student body

School seeks a diverse employee base

Culture encourages input and innovation

Leadership opportunities are available, shared, and encouraged

Students find the school welcoming and inclusive

Communication to employees is clear, timely, and comprehensive School effectively communicates expectations of parents

School policies are clear and equitable