St. Mark’s School of Texas
Head of School Opportunity Statement Spring 2013
MISSION & LEGACY
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a nonsectarian, college-preparatory day
school for boys in grades 1 through 12. According to the School’s charter, St. Mark’s is “designed to afford its students well-rounded physical, intellectual, moral, and religious training and instruction.” Established in 1906 as the Terrill School for Boys, St. Mark’s is intended to be a diverse community of teachers and students who share a love of learning and strive for high achievement in whatever they undertake.
Impressive facilities such as the planetarium, the observatory, and
the greenhouse once inspired Time magazine to call St. Mark’s the “bestequipped day school in the country.” In the 1960s and 1970s, the School established a financial aid program and initiated innovative teaching methods within the classical curriculum where appropriate. During the 1980s, the Board of Trustees developed a forward-looking strategic plan called Goals for St. Mark’s, which resulted in dramatic modernization of the School’s physical plant and substantial growth of its endowment.
Today, the School continues its tradition of excellence, serving more
than 850 boys and their families. As one of the nation’s leading independent schools, the primary objective of St. Mark’s is to help boys become good men. For more than a century, St. Mark’s has provided its students with exceptional educational opportunities by synchronizing the curriculum to the unique learning styles of boys.
St. Mark’s is much more than a boys school.
St. Mark’s is a school for boys.
St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. To this end, the School professes and upholds certain values. These values include the discipline of postponing immediate gratification in the interests of earning eventual, hard-won satisfaction; the responsibility of defending one’s own ideas, of respecting the views of others, and of accepting the consequences for one’s own actions; and an appreciation for the lively connection between knowledge and responsibility and the obligation to serve. ~ from the Statement of Purpose
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SCHOOL PROFILE Accreditation Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Affiliations National Association of Independent Schools International Boys’ Schools Coalition Global Online Academy Cum Laude Society Student Body Enrollment: 852 boys Applicants admitted: 20 percent Students of color: 43 percent Academics Composite Average ACT Score (Class of 2013): 32 Average SAT Score (Class of 2013) Critical Reading: 695 Math: 716 Writing: 691 National Merit Semifinalists & Commended Scholars in the Class of 2013: 50 percent Average Class Size: 15 Number of AP courses offered: 20
Six Pillars of St. Mark’s
Integrity Confidence Judgment Passion & Curiosity Ethics & Spirituality Balance
Average Tuition Lower School: $20,448 Middle School: $23,405 Upper School: $25,002 Faculty Student/Teacher Ratio ~ 8:1 Teaching faculty: 124 Full-time faculty with advanced degrees: 80 percent Faculty with more than 20 years at the School: 32 Endowed faculty positions: 15 Alumni More than 4,000 Endowment Approximately $115,000,000 Governance Fifty-two-member, self-perpetuating Board of Trustees Fifteen-member Executive Committee Facilities Campus: 40 acres with extensive facilities Interscholastic sports: 16 Financial Aid 2012–2013 School Year Students receiving financial aid: 14 percent Financial aid awards: $1,840,500 3
A Brief History of St. Mark’s School of Texas
1906 Menter B. Terrill and his wife Ada establish the Terrill
1961 Executive Committee chairman Ralph B. Rogers
School for Boys on the principles of providing rigorous
announces that the School raised $500,000 for the
academic preparation and strict discipline for boys.
Eugene McDermott Scholarship Endowment Fund.
1930 The Terrill School moves from Swiss Avenue to a 12-acre campus on Ross Avenue.
1933 Texas Country Day School is established at the
The McDermott-Green Science and Mathematics Quadrangle opens to national acclaim.
1967 The School opens a new library study center, later
northeast corner of Preston Road and Walnut Hill
named in honor of Cecil and Ida Green for their
Lane. It hires Kenneth Bouvé as the School’s first
unflagging support of St. Mark’s.
headmaster and set its sights on becoming “a firstclass boys’ school to serve the Southwest.”
1940 Texas Country Day begins to develop a new campus about three-quarters of a mile north of its
1977 Cecil and Ida Green establish the first fully endowed Master Teaching Chair, and Lower School teacher Evelyn Boone fills the position.
1985 The Board approves a comprehensive, long-range
leased location and constructs the first building,
strategic plan, Goals for St. Mark’s, to guide the School’s
Founders Hall.
future growth and development. To implement the
1946 The Terrill School officially closes its doors and reopens as Cathedral School for Boys, with Episcopal Bishop Avery Mason as its new leader.
1950 Cathedral School for Boys and Texas Country Day merge to form St. Mark’s School of Texas, a nonsectarian, college-preparatory school.
plan, the School is required to raise $32 million for new facilities and the endowment.
1986 The St. Mark’s Choir takes its first overseas trip to England, beginning a biennial tradition and elevating the group to even greater national prominence.
1988 The Board formally recognizes the Terrill School as the original predecessor school of St. Mark’s and welcomes Terrill alumni into the St. Mark’s Alumni Association.
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1989 The School adds a Japanese language program in an effort to integrate non-Western cultures and ideas into the curriculum.
1990 St. Mark’s wins the 52nd annual National Debate Tournament.
1991 The School hosts the first St. Mark’s Teacher Institute to promote interactive professional development for area public school teachers.
1992 St. Mark’s initiates an environmental science program.
2003 A graduating senior is named one of only 100 United States Presidential Scholars for academic leadership.
2006 The School celebrates its Centennial Year. 2008 Wirt Davis Hall retires as the School’s main academic building and is replaced by Centennial Hall and the Robert K. Hoffman Center.
2009 The School announces the start of The Centennial Challenge with an overall goal of $110 million.
2010 Two graduating seniors are named Presidential
Donors establish the Robert E. Dennard Visiting
Scholars in the Arts, an honor bestowed on only
Scholars program as a way to bring intriguing guests
20 students in the nation who demonstrate
to campus each year.
exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and
1993 After an extensive national search, the Board hires Arnold E. Holtberg as headmaster. He brings a focus on the whole boy and introduces the Senior Exhibition
performing arts. St. Mark’s is named “Top Workplace” by The Dallas Morning News.
2012 The School announces that The Centennial Challenge
as a way to illustrate the varied talents, interests, and
has passed the $100 million mark with less than six
experiences of senior boys.
months left in the campaign.
1994 The Board of Trustees approves a $1.5 million
2013 With the help of alumni leaders Casey McManemin ’79
investment in campus technology improvements.
and Bob Roberts ’64, the Alumni Financial Aid
2001 St. Mark’s announces the completion of The Campaign
Challenge is met, raising more than $10 million
for St. Mark’s, with gifts totaling more than $50 million.
to support financial aid.
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EDUCATING THE WHOLE BOY
Academic Life Lower School
We recognize and value the importance of a sturdy foundation. The
Lower School is focused on nurturing and educating boys to help them be the best people they can be. Intellectual competence, character and ethical leadership, and the blend of compassion and competition are all elements
College Matriculation
that distinguish our program.
One-hundred percent of St. Mark’s students
Middle School
attend a four-year college or university.
The following list indicates where most
development. In grades 5 and 6 there are no cumulative grades. While boys
Marksmen from the Classes of 2008 through 2012 have enrolled.
Ten or more students at: Dartmouth College Duke University Northwestern University Princeton University Rice University Southern Methodist University Stanford University Texas A&M University University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Texas Vanderbilt University Five to nine students at: Boston University Columbia University Harvard University New York University Rhodes College United States Naval Academy University of Chicago University of Miami University of Missouri University of Texas — Plan II University of Virginia Washington University Yale University
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The Middle School years are among the most formative in any boy’s
do receive scores on individual tests, quizzes, homework, and assignments, there are no end-of-course grades. The School focuses on teaching the boys how to study each individual subject, how to organize, and how to
Four students at: Baylor University Davidson College Georgetown University Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Notre Dame University of Texas at Dallas Three students at: Brown University Claremont McKenna College Colgate University Emory University Texas Christian University Texas Tech University Trinity University United States Military Academy University of Michigan
manage and budget their time. Content material is important, as is learning the skills necessary to be a successful student. Grades 7 and 8 do begin the process of cumulative grades, as well as competitive sports and various social opportunities.
Upper School
The Upper School is committed to the St. Mark’s mission of educating
the whole boy by helping its students grow up into young men of integrity and character. Paramount to this mission is connecting each boy to his peers, the St. Mark’s faculty, and the School’s programs. Around campus, boys are engaged in conversation, studying in Centennial Hall or the Senior Lounge, or throwing a Frisbee on the quad. Throughout the day, students visit with their advisors and teachers, in addition to being involved in extracurricular pursuits. St. Mark’s provides its Upper School boys a significant slate of athletic, artistic, and service opportunities, plus other student- and faculty-led groups and organizations.
Graduation Requirements
The academic year comprises three trimesters. Students must
complete the equivalent of 18 full-year courses in the Upper School, including but not limited to: four English, three social studies, three laboratory sciences, three foreign language, three mathematics, one fine arts, and one elective. Students must also complete community service hours, the Pecos Wilderness Trip, and four years of physical education. During the last year of Upper School, students are required to complete a Senior Exhibition, where they demonstrate a talent, skill, or interest to a portion of the student body and members of the faculty.
Character Development Spiritual Life
The Chapel is not merely a building on campus but rather an
important element in our commitment to promote the ideals of community, moral development, service, and spiritual growth. As a nonsectarian school, we seek to develop an atmosphere of free and open inquiry into the various aspects of faith and knowledge. Our goal is to assist students to clarify their beliefs, assess their values, and learn to act responsibly on the basis of their convictions.
The challenge of a nonsectarian Chapel program is to provide spiritual
and moral direction while exhibiting respect for the variety of faiths espoused by our students. Thus, Chapel services held twice each week in the Lower and Middle Schools and once per week in the Upper School aim at raising questions, sharing information about different religions, and giving instruction on how to live a life of responsibility.
The Chaplain is available to provide boys with pastoral counseling
and advice.
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education is an integral part of the St. Mark’s experience.
Confronting some basic problems of life in the wilderness under the guidance of skilled and caring adults helps our students learn to cope with uncertainty, to gain self-confidence, and to develop self-reliance. Being together in the wilderness gives teachers and students an opportunity to interact in a way not possible at School. These experiences help to unify our School and teach us the importance of working together and caring for one another. The Outdoor Education program begins in the fourth grade and culminates with the Pecos Wilderness experience, a longstanding St. Mark’s tradition and communal rite of passage for the rising freshman class.
Community Service Program
Each boy is required to fulfill Community Service hours each year,
depending on his grade level. The School considers serving the greater Dallas community its second mission and holds numerous organized events throughout the year to both engage its boys and strengthen the community. The School partners with such organizations as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Habitat for Humanity, the Austin Street Center, Special Olympics, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
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EDUCATING THE WHOLE BOY Leadership & Ethics Program
The St. Mark’s Leadership & Ethics Program was founded during the
2005–2006 school year. Created with the help of Gus Lee, celebrated author and Chair of Character Development at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Program is a comprehensive approach to leadership and character development that contains curricular, cultural, and programmatic components.
Mentorship
Given that St. Mark’s enrolls students in grades 1 through 12, the School
is uniquely positioned to teach its older students how to become strong role models to their younger schoolmates. Students of all ages pass one another in the halls, the Chapel, and the cafeteria, providing ample opportunity for teaching life lessons.
To further this goal, every senior is paired with a “Little Buddy” from first
and second grade. Throughout the year, these Buddies will meet for a snack, go on field trips together, and learn about one another. One of the most poignant moments of a Marksman’s career comes at Christmas, when the entire School gathers in the Great Hall, and seniors carry in their Little Buddies on their shoulders to decorate the Christmas Tree. This tradition has been immortalized in a bronze statue overlooking the quad, aptly titled “The Path to Manhood.”
Global Education
St. Mark’s provides students the opportunity to study abroad, to engage
in academic program partnerships with U.S. schools and agencies, and to participate in foreign exchange programs. These programs allow students to learn in different environments; to engage in cultures, history, and language outside the classroom; to share and defend their ideas with young people from around the world; and to bring back experiences that help them recognize their place in the world.
Global Education Offerings include the Swiss Semester Program (Zermatt,
Switzerland), CityTerm (New York City), The St. Andrew’s Exchange Program (Osaka, Japan), School Year Abroad (held throughout the world), and various summer foreign-language trips to Japan, Costa Rica, Chile, Italy, and Spain.
The St. Mark’s Leadership and Ethics Program teaches boys to be actively involved in their world, to understand and engage with its challenges, and to take responsibility for their own actions and duties in a courageous, honorable manner. The Program affirms that essential aspects of one’s identity are inseparable from the communities and institutions of which one forms a part. ~ from the Leadership & Ethics Mission Statement
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Global Education (cont.)
The School also hosts yearlong foreign exchange students from
Japan and through ASSIST (American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers).
The biennial international Choir Tour is a longstanding tradition at
St. Mark’s. Since 1986, students have performed with other boys’ and children’s choirs in some of the most impressive venues in the world. Most recently, in the summer of 2011, the St. Mark’s Choir traveled to South Africa for a two-week tour, which included performances in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and at St. George’s Cathedral.
Additionally, in 2012, the School joined the selective Global Online
Academy, which affords students and faculty access to online content and learning opportunities.
Visiting Speakers
One of the many benefits of a St. Mark’s education is the chance to
hear and visit with unique speakers.
Through the Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholars Program,
The Willard E. Walker, Jr., ’66 Visiting Scholar Programs, and the GreenMcDermott Guest Lecture Fund, St. Mark’s has hosted numerous authors, lecturers, historians, scientists, business leaders, artists, and other accomplished professionals.
During the 2012–2013 school year, St. Mark’s hosted a documentary
filmmaker, a Navy SEAL, a noted paleoanthropologist, a best-selling journalist, college deans of admission, two university presidents, and several corporate executives. The School also welcomes back alumni who visit with current students, sharing their insights and experiences.
Counseling & Academic Support
The mission of the Counseling Office, which includes a Director
of Counseling and a Coordinator of Academic Support, is to provide assistance to students and their families with academic, behavioral, and emotional concerns.
The Counseling Office ensures that all boys maintain a healthy balance
in their personal and academic lives. Each year, the Office hosts special school-wide initiatives over such issues as bullying, hazing, and prevention of substance abuse.
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EDUCATING THE WHOLE BOY
Athletics
In its mission to educate the whole boy, St. Mark’s strives to strengthen
its boys both mentally and physically. Marksmen are well known throughout the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) for their fierce drive on the field and their dedication to good sportsmanship.
Team Sports at St. Mark’s
Baseball*
individuals to live effectively in the modern world. Equally important to fitness are the intellectual, social, cultural, and emotional understandings and responsibilities that are developed through sports.
The goals of the program include the development of physical fitness,
movement skills, specialized knowledge of and appreciation for sports,
Basketball
self-understanding through social interaction, and appreciation of play and
Cheerleading
leisure time. The program also strives to develop highly competitive teams.
Crew* Cross Country Fencing Football* Golf* Lacrosse* Soccer* Swimming* Tennis Track & Field* Volleyball* Water Polo* Wrestling*
* SPC or State Champions within the past five years.
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As with other disciplines, physical education and athletics prepare
One metric by which athletics can be judged is the SPC Athletic
Directors’ Cup, a quantitative measure of overall yearly athletic success within the SPC. St. Mark’s has won this prestigious award for 11 consecutive years.
FACULTY
Of the more than 120 faculty and administrative members, 92 have
advanced degrees, including nine with doctorates. More than 30 faculty members have been at the School 20 years or more. Faculty longevity is a reflection of the supportive teaching environment at St. Mark’s and the dedication teachers feel toward their Marksmen.
At St. Mark’s, faculty are much more than just teachers to their students.
Each Upper School boy is assigned an advisor with whom he meets regularly to discuss everything from school and classes to college and life decisions.
Endowed Faculty Positions
After commencement, many alumni retain strong bonds of friendship with
Established by generous gifts from alumni,
their former teachers. At alumni events across the country, Marksmen regularly travel great distances to visit with former teachers.
Professional Development
parents, and friends, one of the ways St. Mark’s recognizes excellence among the faculty is by naming individual faculty
St. Mark’s believes that teachers should never stop learning. To
members to endowed chairs.
this end, the School is dedicated to providing the finest professional development available. Each year, the Headmaster awards more than $200,000 in professional development grants for teachers to travel across the globe in search of knowledge and experiences to bring back to their boys.
Below is a small sampling of awarded professional development grants: • The International Boys’ Schools Coalition Annual Conferences in Hastings, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia • An art trip through the People’s Republic of China • Exploration of National Parks in the western United States
Cecil H. & Ida Green Master Teaching Chair Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair Malcolm K. & Minda Brachman Master Teaching Chair Trustee Master Teaching Chair Leonard N. “Doc” Nelson Alumni Master Teaching Chair Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science
• The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada
Cecil H. & Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in Science
• Workshop on Seeds of Science/Roots of Learning at the University of California at Berkeley
Founders’ Master Teaching Chair
• Study of Renaissance art and Florentine education in Florence, Italy • The annual Ecological Society of America Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico • Completion of a doctoral thesis • SOLO Wilderness First Responder training • American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico • Symposium on the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War at Washington & Lee University • National Piano Teachers Institute
Nancy & Jeffrey Marcus Master Teaching Chair in Humanities Eugene McDermott Headmaster Thomas B. Walker III ’73 Mathematics Department Chair Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair in Lower School Gene & Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair Suzanne and Patrick McGee Family Master Teaching Chair in Mathematics
“We are proud of our outstanding faculty whose dedication to their craft and devotion to students make each day exciting at St. Mark’s.” ~ Arnie Holtberg Eugene McDermott Headmaster 11
ALUMNI COMMUNITY
When a Marksman crosses the stage at Commencement, he becomes
part of the St. Mark’s Alumni Association, a global organization of more than 4,000 men. The Alumni Association stands out as one of the strongest in the nation, in terms of both giving and participation. Through the School’s Office of Development & Alumni Relations, alumni gatherings are organized in cities across the nation and around the world.
Distinguished Alumni
Each spring, hundreds of former students and their families gather on
campus for Spring Alumni Weekend, attending classes led by faculty, alumni
The Distinguished Alumnus Award
panels, Chapel, the Spring Alumni Dinner, and Reunion Class celebrations.
recognizes achievement of exceptional nature
in any field, vocational or voluntary, covering
and treasure to the School’s annual fund, which has one of the highest
an entire career. Because the award is defined
participation rates in the nation, even as compared to colleges and
Alumni also give back to their alma mater through gifts of time
by its recipients, it has been given sparingly.
universities. Overall participation has exceeded 50 percent for the fifth
1987 P.O’B. Montgomery, Jr. ’38
exceeded parent donations, an unheard-of feat in secondary schools.
1988 Samuel W. Papert, Jr. ’37
Alumni Board Vision
1989 Ray L. Hunt ’61
1990 Tommy Lee Jones ’65
superior alumni engagement and contributions.
1991 Carl Sewell ’61
Programming
1992 Robert K. Hoffman ’65
1994 Michael R. Levy ’64
1995 William Clarkson IV ’66
1998 Robert Decherd ’69
2002 H. Ross Perot, Jr. ’77
2005 Stephen T. Jurvetson ’85
2007 Steve Miller ’61
2009 S. Alan Stern ’75
2011 Robert M. Edsel ’75
2013 Kurt Eichenwald ’79
consecutive year. In 2012, for the second year in a row, alumni donations
The St. Mark’s Alumni Association strives to be recognized nationally
as having the best independent school alumni network, demonstrated by
One of the goals of the St. Mark’s Alumni Association is to offer events
that allow alumni of all ages to connect with fellow Marksmen, the faculty, and the School. Over the past few years, highlights have included: • Campaign Launch Events in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Houston • An Evening at the Perot Museum of Nature & Science • A Guided Tour of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City • A Guided Tour of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
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• Breakfast with Dr. Wade Davis, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence • Dinners, lunches, and networking events in the following locations: Austin, Texas Boston, Massachusetts Chicago, Illinois Denver, Colorado Hanover, New Hampshire Hong Kong, China Houston, Texas London, England Los Angeles, California
Nashville, Tennessee New Haven, Connecticut New Orleans, Louisiana New York City, New York Palo Alto, California Philadelphia, Pennsylvania San Diego, California San Francisco, California Washington, D.C.
SUPPORT FOR ST. MARK’S
St. Mark’s School of Texas benefits from a rich history of philanthropic
support. In the 1950s, Texas Instruments co-founders Cecil Green and Eugene McDermott set out to transform St. Mark’s into a leading independent school. They believed in the correlation between educational institutions and great cities. Together, they contributed nearly $50 million to the School over five decades.
This legacy inspires a new generation of donors to invest in the
School. Alumni, parents, and friends remain steadfast in their commitment
Goals for St. Mark’s III
to ensuring that St. Mark’s provides one of the very best educations in
Each year, the Headmaster reports to the
the country. Philanthropic support of the St. Mark’s Fund, along with endowment income, provides every student with the equivalent of a nearly $10,000 scholarship, helping to offset the cost of educating a Marksman.
The Centennial Challenge
In 2009, St. Mark’s announced the start of its largest fundraising
campaign and one of the most ambitious campaigns among independent day schools in the country. Honoring the School’s 100-year history, The Centennial Challenge was launched to raise $110 million in gifts to support five priorities: Faculty Support, Financial Aid, Programmatic Support, Campus Improvements, and the continued growth of the St. Mark’s Fund.
The Campaign will conclude on June 30, 2013.
The St. Mark’s Fund
Each year, alumni, parents, and friends support our diverse
community of teachers and learners by making a gift to the St. Mark’s Fund. The School depends on these gifts to meet current needs on campus and enrich the day-to-day intellectual, social, and personal development of every student.
During The Centennial Challenge, gifts to the St. Mark’s Fund are
more important than ever to sustaining excellence. While the Campaign focuses on securing important long-term resources for our students and faculty, the growth of the St. Mark’s Fund remains a foremost priority.
The Menter B. Terrill Society
An educational visionary and entrepreneur, Menter B. Terrill founded
the Terrill School in 1906. Terrill’s educational formula called for good citizenship, self-discipline, high academic standards, and passionate teaching — values St. Mark’s continues to uphold to this day.
The Menter B. Terrill Society has been established to recognize and
Board of Trustees on progress in achieving the School’s goals.
I. Students Identify, attract, and retain a diverse group of students. II. Faculty, Administration, and Staff Maintain an outstanding faculty, administration, and staff committed to the School’s Statement of Purpose. III. Program Offer a program centered on academic excellence that promotes the intellectual, artistic, physical, spiritual, and ethical development of each student. IV. College Admissions Guide and assist each student in gaining admission to the colleges and universities of his choice. V. Relationships with Outside Communities Build and maintain relationships with outside communities through service. VI. Institutional Advancement Develop and nurture relationships among members of the extended St. Mark’s community to advance the School’s interests. VII. Physical Plant and Facilities Build and maintain a physical plant and facilities of high quality to achieve the goals of the School. VIII. Finance Operate the School on a fiscally sound and responsible basis.
thank alumni and friends who have included St. Mark’s in their long-term estate planning.
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Opportunities and Challenges The next Head of School will join an institution with high academic standards, a deep commitment to the development of the whole boy, and active, supportive alumni and parents. By any measure, St. Mark’s is one of the strongest schools in the nation, yet its community aspires to continual improvement. St. Mark’s seeks a Head who will lead the School through its next chapter by focusing on the following priorities: • Working with the Board of Trustees on the School’s strategic vision, while striking a thoughtful balance between tradition and innovation across all aspects of School life • Inspiring the faculty to ensure that the academic rigors of the curriculum prepare students for the challenges of an increasingly complex world • Advancing global awareness, critical thinking skills, and respect for diverse personal, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds • Recruiting, mentoring, supporting, and retaining the School’s talented teachers, coaches, and staff, and ensuring their consistent excellence through a constructive evaluation process • Attracting the resources to continue to transform the campus, strengthen the student experience, and enhance the School’s preeminence • Promoting the strategic use of changing technology for teaching and learning and in the efficient operations of the School
Key Success Factors The ideal candidate will hold strong academic credentials, including an advanced degree, and will demonstrate the following: • Commitment to educating the whole boy by serving as a role model for integrating academics, athletics, the arts, community outreach, and extracurricular activities, while developing character, leadership, ethics, and spirituality • Approachability and visibility to connect easily and regularly with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni • Appreciation for, and support of, a strong faculty, ideally deriving from firsthand experience as a classroom educator • Well-honed talent for communicating effectively and persuasively with all constituents on a wide range of School matters, including pedagogy, mission, and institutional identity
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Key Success Factors (cont.) • Strong managerial skills, including the ability to delegate and involve others as appropriate and foster a culture that supports faculty and staff innovation and creativity • Administrative and financial acumen to ensure long-term stability, working with the Board on prudent management, strategic decision making, effective support of fundraising and development, and sound endowment management • Strong track record of fostering an environment that supports diversity and inclusion among all members of the School community • The highest integrity, with an authentic, self-aware, and grounded approach to leadership, combined with a warm and approachable executive presence, boundless energy, and a good sense of humor
Reporting Relationships Reports to:
The President of the Board and the Board of Trustees
Key direct reports: Assistant Headmaster Director of Finance and Administration Provost and Dean of Campus Head of Upper School Head of Middle School Head of Lower School Chaplain Director of Athletics and Physical Education Director of College Counseling Director of Counseling
Contact Nominations, applications, and inquiries should be sent to our search firm at lions@storbeckpimentel.com and will be kept confidential.
St. Mark’s School of Texas does not discriminate in any employment practice on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or veteran status. 15
CAMPUS TOUR
St. Mark’s Chapel The Chapel is perhaps the most recognizable landmark on campus. Apart from weekly, nonsectarian services, the St. Mark’s Chapel also hosts a monthly Service of Choral Evensong, talks from guest speakers, spring Baccalaureate, and a Festival of Lessons & Carols, the beloved holiday tradition.
Centennial Hall Dedicated in 2008, the LEED Silver-certified Centennial Hall is the primary academic and administrative building on campus, housing the Upper and Middle School administration, faculty offices, and classrooms that feature large, conference-style Harkness tables to facilitate natural discussion and group learning.
Robert K. Hoffman Center Dedicated in 2008, the LEED Silver-certified Hoffman Center created additional classroom and office space. The Center offers a state-of-the-art home for the School’s nationally renowned journalism department and debate team. The building also houses the Paul Weadon Language Lab and the senior lounge.
Nearburg Hall Nearburg Hall greets visitors at the entrance to the main quad and houses the offices of Business, Admission, and Development & Alumni Relations. The first floor features two large meeting areas, and the second floor includes several Middle School classrooms and the Industrial Arts workshop.
A. Earl Cullum, Jr. Alumni Commons Built in 1994, the Alumni Commons hosts large gatherings, including the Spring Alumni Dinner and the All-School Christmas Party. The Commons also houses the Student Store and serves as a common area and corridor between the main quad and the athletic fields. Within the Commons, the W.W. Browning, Jr. Great Hall serves lunch to more than 1,000 students, faculty, and staff every day.
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CAMPUS TOUR
Athletic Facilities The Hunt Family Stadium is the School’s main outdoor athletic field for varsity competition, including football, soccer, lacrosse, and track and field. A lighted, all-weather turf stadium is surrounded by an eight-lane Tartan track. Bordering the stadium are the multipurpose Silcock Field, Montgomery Field, the Rogers Natatorium, the Winn Wrestling Center, the Mullen Fitness Center, Spencer Gym, Hicks Gym, and the Hill Tennis Center.
H. Ben Decherd Fine Arts Center This spacious auditorium, equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, hosts hundreds of events throughout the year, from weekly assemblies and theater productions to musical performances and guest speakers. The Center also includes visual and performing arts studios and the Eamonn Lacey Black Box Theater, which support a world-class fine arts program.
McDermott-Green Science and Mathematics Quadrangle The Science Center opened to national acclaim in 1961 and has since been the center for scientific learning at St. Mark’s. Students discover the natural world and learn about physics and chemistry in leading-edge laboratories. They explore the universe in the observatory and planetarium, and study in front of the giant periodic table.
Cecil & Ida Green Library and the Lower School Library The School’s two libraries have a combined collection that includes more than 55,000 print volumes, 114 current periodical titles, DVDs (theatrical releases and educational programming), audiobooks on CD, and Kindle e-readers available for checkout. In addition, the library offers more than 20,000 titles that students can electronically check out on their laptop, personal tablet, or smartphone.
Fojtasek Family Lower School The Lower School is home to grades 1 through 4 and features an extensive fine arts wing for creative learning. Nearly every square foot of wall space is covered in vibrant colors, posters, maps, and photos to inspire and enthrall young boys. The dedicated fine arts wing is home to the music, art, and drama rooms, as well as a pottery kiln.
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Head of school Search Committee
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Randall S. Fojtasek ’81 Trustee, 1997– Parent, ‘15, ’20
Robert W. Decherd ’69 President, Board of Trustees, 1988–1991 Trustee, 1978–1998 Life Trustee, 2004 President, Alumni Board, 1977–1979 Parent, ‘96
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Kenneth A. Hersh ’81 President, Board of Trustees, 2010–2012 Trustee, 1998– Parent, ‘13 Leonard M. Riggs, Jr., M.D. President, Board of Trustees, 2002–2004 Trustee, 1996–2008 Parent, ‘04, ‘07
Elliott Roosevelt, Jr. President, Board of Trustees, 1991–1993 Trustee, 1981–2002 Life Trustee, 2003 Parent, ‘81, ‘89 Carl Sewell ’61 President, Board of Trustees, 2000–2002 Trustee, 1979–1985, 1991–2003 Life Trustee, 2007 Parent, ‘02
COMMITTEE MEMBERS George S. Bayoud, Jr. ’73 President, Board of Trustees, 2008–2010 Trustee, 1993–2011 Parent, ‘08 Katherine R. Crow Co-Chair, The Centennial Challenge Trustee, 2003– Parent, ‘14, ‘17 The Rev. Michael B. Dangelo Chaplain History Faculty, 2012– D. Scott Gonzalez Provost, Dean of Campus English Faculty, 1995– Kathryne B. Hillier President, Parents’ Association, 2008–2009 Trustee, 2007–2010 Parent, ‘09, ‘13 Amee Joshi Treasurer-Elect, Parents’ Association Parent, ’19, ’21
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Christen E.J. Lee ’96 Trustee, 2008– New York Alumni Club Jon L. Mosle III ’79 Chair, Committee on Trustees Trustee, 1995–2001, 2006– President, Alumni Board, 1996–1997 Parent, ‘16 Ross Perot, Jr. ’77 President, Board of Trustees, 2004–2006 Trustee, 1992– Parent, ‘05, ‘06 Judith T. Sutcliffe Faculty Senior Master Suzanne & Patrick McGee Family Master Teaching Chair in Mathematics Mathematics Faculty, 1984– Taylor H. Wilson ’81 Chair, Executive Committee Trustee, 1999–2002, 2006– President, Alumni Board, 1999–2001 Parent, ‘12, ‘14
Nominations, applications, and inquiries should be sent to our search firm at lions@storbeckpimentel.com and will be kept confidential.
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st. mark’s school of texas
10600 Preston Road
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Dallas, Texas 75230 - 4047
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214.346.8000
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smtexas.org