celebrating faculty

Teachers with

Non-Traditional Teaching Roles Academic Dean

Tim McGhee Years of service to St. Andrew’s: 28

St. Andrew’s comprehensive and thoughtful ap-

which called for a better overall coordination of

proach to curriculum development and teaching is

curriculum. With the establishment of this position,

reflected in its organizational structure, including the

curricula are streamlined by skill sequencing, elimina-

position of Academic Dean, which serves to coordi-

tion of redundant content, a focus on key initiatives

nate, guide, and streamline curriculum from the first

(i.e. the Social and Emotional Learning Program), and

grade through the twelfth grade.

more, including regular maintenance of the school’s curriculum map.

Tim McGhee, Academic Dean since 2009*, has the challenge and responsibility of working with the Head

Curriculum is determined and developed through a

of School, division heads, department chairs, and

number of methods. In addition to state requirements

faculty to coordinate, assess, and develop curriculum

managed by the Texas Private School Accrediting

1–12. This includes overseeing in-service programs

Commission, St. Andrew’s curriculum is written by the

and professional development of faculty and staff,

school’s high caliber faculty using current standards

working with department chairs to elaborate their

and research.

roles and support their respective departmental agendas, creating and leading an Academic Coun-

“By way of our departmental organization, the pro-

cil to oversee school-wide academic policies and

fessional staff has on-going discussions about what

curriculum issues, and assisting division heads and

we teach, how we teach, and whether changes

chairs in the clinical supervision of faculty.

are needed,” explains Tim McGhee. “That faculty perspective is then documented in the curricula we

The Office of Academic Dean was created in re-

write, the texts we adopt, the materials we employ,

sponse to one of the key recommendations com-

and the methods we use.”

ing out of St. Andrews’ 2000 re-accreditation report, 10 •  St. Andrew’s Episcopal School •  www.sasaustin.org