Q&A

Board of Trustees President and Head of School Q&A

Academic excellence at McDonogh was the topic of discussion during a recent parent webinar and at the Board of Trustees fall retreat. In your opinion, what makes the educational experience exceptional?

[DAVE] As an educator who has worked at multiple schools over my 28-year career, this is easy to answer: our commitments to LifeReady, academic excellence, and, most importantly, teachers.

At its core, LifeReady empowers students to be selfreliant, critical thinkers who can form, test, and revise their ideas—for themselves, and in the service of others.

Our Upper School curriculum guide reads like that of a college or university in terms of academic excellence and the diversity of offerings. All McDonogh classes in every division are carefully designed to ready students to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world.

Our teachers, however, are the decisive element of the McDonogh experience. With over 1,200 applications submitted each year to teach at McDonogh, we are able to attract and retain the best educators in the country. What makes them the best? They are knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter, they set high expectations, and, most importantly, they care deeply about their students.

[ROB] Evolution and relationships. Faced with a world changing at an exponential rate, students must be prepared for a future more uncertain than ever making our educators equal parts prognosticators and child psychologists.

The McDonogh program builds on a time-tested liberal arts curriculum while integrating learnings from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and global workforce trends. “Stuffing the memory” no longer qualifies as learning. We must build critical thinkers, appliers of knowledge, and people of character capable of navigating jobs that have yet to be invented or will exist in different forms years from now.

Education is only effective if curriculum and pedagogy fuse with varied learning styles. By understanding how students learn and inspiring them to undertake challenging work, faculty and staff help students achieve life-altering experiences that inspire personal and intellectual growth.

Dave, you have identified wellness programming as a priority for the school. What prompted this focus and why do you believe it is so important?

Well, we were already seeing unacceptably high levels of anxiety and depression in children across the nation a few years ago, and then the pandemic hit, accelerating the crisis. It is imperative that McDonogh (and all schools) tackle these challenges and place wellness at the forefront of our strategic vision. I consider wellness in its broadest sense (physical, mental, and emotional) a force multiplier for all other aspects of a student’s life. It leads to better performance in and out of the classroom and healthier relationships. Basic things like sleep, exercise, and nutrition are critical for student success. And let’s not forget our faculty and staff; they need the same levels of wellness support given their awesome responsibility in creating a robust and joyful campus culture.

Rob, you and Dave are both deeply committed to carrying out McDonogh’s Mission, Vision, and Values. How are the duties and responsibilities of the Board President different from the Head of School, and how do you maintain a productive relationship?

The Board sets policy and focuses on the long term while the Head of School and Senior Administration are responsible for day-to-day operations. In short, the Board’s job is strategic, and the Administration’s job is tactical, making our accountabilities different.

This structure is designed to produce a healthy tension ensuring the school always comes first—period. Traditional roles were challenged in recent years while facing unprecedented macro risks, but I am proud of the partnership established between the Board and Administration to deliver solutions that sought to balance the school’s short- and long-term needs.

I enrolled at McDonogh as a full-pay kid in Lower School. Dave joined later in Middle School as a scholarship guy. While we are from different backgrounds, mutual respect and trust came easy. We were teammates beginning in Middle School and for many seasons thereafter. As a result, a healthy combination of challenge, debate, and support was already foundational to our relationship and translated productively into our respective roles.

Most gratifying is how much we learned about one another in service to the school over the last few years. After spending years apart, I am grateful we could build on a relationship established in our formative years on this campus and utilize lessons learned in support of our Mission, Vision, and Values.

Dave, on June 30, Rob completes his term as President of the Board of Trustees. Much has transpired during his time of service. What stands out in your mind?

Rob is extremely uncomfortable receiving praise, so I’m sharing this behind his back! Rob and I wrestled and played football together during our student days at McDonogh, and I love him like a brother. We also argue like brothers but always keep our love for the institution at the center of our relationship.

I believe Rob led McDonogh through one of the most tumultuous periods in school history, a period that encompassed the pandemic, social unrest, political polarization, and economic uncertainty. He did it all with a preternatural grace and humility. I am forever grateful.

Rob, what are your hopes for the future of McDonogh?

I am often reminded that “hope is not a strategy” so I will use the facts to reach, hopefully, an informed view. By most accounts, McDonogh is an extraordinary place. The tangibles include strong enrollment, challenging academic and character programs, a noteworthy physical plant, and a community that “gives back.” Perhaps less tangible is the brand’s strength, prudent oversight of resources and culture, the tireless commitment of volunteers, and the faculty and staff’s love for students.

Conversely, we are ever mindful that a McDonogh education is less accessible today than in the past. Deferred maintenance costs increase regularly on our aging campus and the need to grow the endowment, which is responsible for fueling operational needs and aspirational pursuits, is ever-present. We are also living through one of the most divisive periods in our nation’s history, and we have learned the McDonogh Family is not immune from these influences.

While routinely amazed by the obstacles overcome by this community when coming together in service of others, I am most bullish on today’s students. Rigor and excellence are part of their daily lives, and they are the primary beneficiaries of the sacrifices made, past and present, that make McDonogh unique. When this generation finds their voice, I am confident the world will finally understand what it means to do “the greatest possible amount of good.”