WHY WE TEACH AT MADEIRA

Madeira Mission Innovation & Support Our Students Diverse & Welcoming

I was teaching in China when I first saw Madeira’s mission of launching women who change the world. My then fivemonth old daughter was crawling around. I read the mission and then looked at her. I got really touched and started to tear up. I thought, man, I need to get myself there. My three years at Madeira have only strengthened my belief in the mission.

GLEN RUSSELL

MATH DEPARTMENT CHAIR I joined Madeira because of the theater program. I was excited by the opportunity to create imaginative set designs, teach students to build, and pass on my love of technical theater. I choose to stay at Madeira because of the opportunities to grow and be innovative in my approach to education. I have never been afraid of change and I appreciate that Madeira wants to stay on the cutting edge. The arts at Madeira are well-loved and supported, something I haven’t found in many other schools.

SASHA NEWMAN

ARTS DEPARTMENT CHAIR I have long told our students that they are the School. Theirs is a fierce desire to know and to be heard, and I hear them. From my first moment at Madeira, I knew a great commitment had been made to stoke this fire inside. I bear the happy privilege of tending it.

DR. KEITH WARD

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CHAIR What brought me to Madeira and makes me feel appreciated and welcomed is the diversity of faculty and staff and the diversity of the student body. Madeira is such a welcoming and accepting community! Students, faculty, and staff come from different ethnic, cultural, political, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and they contribute equally to the well-being of our Madeira community.

DR. XIAOFU DING

WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT CHAIR

Madeira’s passionate and inspiring faculty includes teachers who have previously

worked at some of the most prestigious schools in the country, some long-time

Madeira veterans, and others who left Madeira for a time and have returned. We

asked a few why they choose to be part of Madeira’s mission to develop young

women who will change the world.

Girls Leadership Excellent Reputation Empowering Young Women Supportive Community

3 things drew me back. They were here when I started teaching at Madeira 15 years ago. 1. Fostering leadership in girls. Not just for the sake of the tagline, but allowing girls to dig into who they are and to feel comfortable with themselves. 2. Elite education without entitlement. To be aware that not everyone lives like we do. Many schools grapple with this challenge, but Madeira keeps its girls grounded. It’s one thing to talk about social justice, but another to work in support of a larger purpose. 3. Academic skills. Madeira blends age-old structures and traditions with innovative ideas. I chose to teach at Madeira because of its excellent reputation, and I thought it would be fun and interesting to teach at a girls’ school. I choose to stay at Madeira because I’ve discovered that I love teaching young women. At this point in my life, being middle aged and having raised my own two daughters, I have a lot to teach students beyond instruction in writing and literature. It’s highly rewarding to work with these inspiring young women as they develop their voices and grow into their full potential.

SHEILA MCGRORY

ENGLISH TEACHER I choose to teach at Madeira because of the students and the way that the School empowers young women. Madeira graduates are so impressive and are the future leaders of this world. It’s inspiring and such a great honor to teach here.

KATE SCOTT

STEAM SPECIALIST I continue to teach at Madeira because of the community of people I have found here, both students and adults. The students are dedicated and want to learn and form relationships with adults and with each other. The adults want to support each other and Madeira’s mission, along with their desire to help students be their best, most thoughtful selves. And together, we all pitch in to take care of and look out for each other in this small community.

BECKY ZAHRADNIK

ENGLISH TEACHER