Leading the Change
Making bold strides for children with complex challenges
Our Mission
The Quaker School at Horsham uses research-based programs provided by compassionate professionals to enable each student with complex challenges to blossom and achieve meaningful personal, social, and academic success.
Our Philosophy
The Quaker School at Horsham is a compassionate community that builds trusting relationships among students, parents, therapists, faculty, and staff.
The students at TQS have struggled in traditional schools and come with a pressing need for a safe learning environment where they can confidently face the challenges of learning. These students have a mix of disabilities: ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, expressive and receptive language disorders, and anxiety disorders. At TQS, we use the latest
findings from educational research to guide our curriculum and nurture our students’ inherent curiosity and desire to learn.
TQS equips students with the skills needed to succeed in secondary school, develop fulfilling personal relationships and lead meaningful lives. The underlying basis for all things at TQS is the fundamental Quaker belief that there is the Light of God within every person and that we are meant to share that Light through our efforts, our gifts, and our actions.
Authentic, meaningful change requires bold strides forward.
That’s something The Quaker School at Horsham has proven since our founding in 1982. What began as a small school dedicated to meeting the learning needs of children with complex challenges has evolved into an expansive, innovative community that truly changes the lives of K–12 and post-graduate students and their families.
This growth stems from a constant drive to provide the absolute best researchbased education and support to our TQS community, while staying true to our mission and our Quaker values.
Our vision has never been the status quo. It’s always been the next step.
We previously set our sights on Expanding Our Reach, Deepening Our Impact in our 2019 Strategic Plan — and just five years later, that plan has come near to fruition.
Through program expansion, a stronger curriculum, research and leadership, and capacity building, we were able to grow into a school that serves students from
kindergarten through the post-graduate years, offering business literacy and real-world work experiences, additional support services, and a new school wing and refreshed campus.
There’s much to celebrate — yet as a school that aims to be the category leader in educating and supporting students with complex challenges, we believe we have a responsibility to do more.
That’s why TQS’s new strategic direction focuses on Leading the Change — thinking outside of the box and developing groundbreaking practices in order to make critical strides not just for our students, but for all individuals with complex challenges.
Our goals are ambitious and audacious — but we’ve seen the power of our community in action before, and we know that when we shine together, we can achieve amazing things.
We look forward to introducing you to our big goals, and we hope you will join us on this strategic journey forward.
Our Goals
“Leading the Change is the most far-reaching strategic plan in our school’s history, yet I have never been more confident in our community’s ability to accomplish our goals. Together, we will deliver bold leadership, authentic engagement, emboldened people, unparalleled programs, and audacious innovation — and we will impact the lives of even more individuals with complex challenges.” —
Alex Brosowsky, Head of SchoolBold Leadership
The Quaker School’s Board of Trustees and executive team have always played a pivotal role in setting and striving for our strategic vision — and we see this leadership becoming even more critical as we expand our position as a category innovator.
Through Board development, governance, and leadership, we will maintain and grow outstanding programs, broaden our reach, increase diversity, and assure our ongoing sustainability.
Authentic Engagement
All TQS community members should feel seen and supported throughout all of their experiences and interactions with our school while understanding their own roles and responsibilities. We will enhance community engagement with clear communications, increased fundraising programs, and more opportunities for families to participate in their student’s learning.
Emboldened People
Our people are what differentiate and define The Quaker School, and we are committed to attracting and retaining the best.
TQS faculty and staff are incredibly dedicated to their professions, and they deserve to be fully empowered. To maintain our category position, enhance the student experience, and create a superb faculty culture, we must provide these professionals with bestin-class support and professional development.
Unparalleled Programs
The best student programs are never static. They are shaped by experience, enhanced by the latest research, and tested with new ideas.
To develop a nationallyrecognized, research-based program for children with complex challenges that spans from kindergarten through post-graduate years, we must continually enhance our programs through growth and design thinking.
Audacious Innovation
At TQS, we are not satisfied with the best of what’s available today — we are committed to exploring and creating the best of what’s next for individuals with complex challenges.
Our goal is to expand programs and opportunities to underserved children and families, and to provide broad-reaching support outside of core “education” — because students with complex challenges require more than classroom learning to shine as their full selves.
#1
Bold Leadership GOAL
We will strengthen and expand our position as a categor y leader by maintaining outstanding programs and assuring our sustainability through deep and strategic Board development, governance, and leadership.
We Commit To:
Continue the Board’s strategic plan-focused approach in order to drive long-term stability.
The Quaker School’s Board of Trustees is a strategic entity, and its role and responsibilities will continue to expand in order to ensure effective governance.
Board members will use our strategic plan to guide decision-making; determine committee structure to support board excellence; renew our written Board profile and create a robust Board recruitment process to increase diversity and build depth and commitment; and explore new opportunities in real estate and tax credit programs.
Make sound financial decisions that keep our school sustainable.
The Board will continue to ensure that our annual budget process takes into consideration all costs necessary to support long-term sustainability, safeguard our hard income coverage, attend to building cash reserves, and encourage future endowment gifts. Our Board will remain a model borrower by meeting all loan covenants, and effectively managing all responsibilities.
Maintain and enhance our facilities to support our school’s mission and day-to-day excellence.
In order to provide a stellar student experience, we must have the facilities that support our students’ social, emotional, and educational needs.
Our Board will create a long-term maintenance plan, determine the facilities necessary to support program development, and evaluate new real estate opportunities, such as rental spaces.
ü ü ü
“We are fortunate to have a Board of Trustees that is not only dedicated to their roles but also passionate about the outcomes we help facilitate for each and every TQS student. Board members are committed to providing deeper, measurable support that makes an impact across all of our strategic goals.”
— David Charles, Board President
#2
Authentic Engagement GOAL
We will engage our community with effective and meaningful storytelling to enhance the admissions process, expand fundraising programs, and create greater awareness of the TQS difference.
“The path that our families and students travel to reach TQS, while varied, is typically marked with frustration, stress, and even fear. We are driven to help our families restore joy within their students through friendship, community, and learning. These moments of success fuel our passion to help every student to ‘be okay’ when they leave the TQS community.”
We Commit To:
Grow and sustain annual giving and other fundraising programs to support our mission.
Fundraising is critical for both sustainability and innovation. By training Board members to build relationships with donors aligned with our mission, expanding the Development Committee, and retaining the services of a fundraising consultant to evaluate and refine our current programs, we will ensure our school maintains robust, consistent fundraising.
Ensure school expectations are clear to all enrolling families during the admissions process.
Growth and change are more possible when we all work together. Our goal is for all new TQS families to understand their personal impact on our community’s success and our expectation that they will be actively involved in giving time and charitable gifts. We will do so by adding education components to the enrollment process.
Evolve our marketing strategies to effectively communicate the TQS story.
Ours is a unique community with distinctive offerings that students cannot easily find or access in other schools — and it’s our responsibility to share our story with potential families who could benefit from our services.
By enhancing our digital marketing to focus on lead generation, we will ensure prospective families continuously connect with our school and understand our mission and approach.
ü ü ü
— Kristen Stevens, Assistant Head for External Relations and Strategic Partnerships
Emboldened People GOAL #3
We will attract and retain first-class teachers, counselors, therapists, and staff, empowering all to provide exceptional education and student support by developing a robust professional development program.
“TQS provides an unmatched level of commitment to professional development. Our training is tailored to meet the needs of each professional and their specific area of specialty so they have the tools and resources necessary to achieve greatness in their classroom and learning spaces. We believe that the best educators are those who have the support of an engaged community of like-minded professionals who are seeking to serve students with complex challenges.”
— Miyoung Glenn, Assistant Head for Student AffairsWe Commit To:
Continue to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff.
Our faculty and staff work hard each day to provide students with a warm, welcoming environment that is appropriate for their educational needs.
We are committed to supporting these exceptional professionals and attracting new team members by enhancing salaries, benefits, and professional development opportunities; developing a formal teacher mentor program; providing excellent training and support for teachers new to the profession or the specialty; and implementing Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator or equivalent certification for every K–12 classroom teacher.
ü
Unparalleled Programs GOAL #4
We will deliver a nationally recognized, one-of-a-kind research-based program for children with complex challenges from kindergarten through post-graduate education.
We Commit To:
Grow the Sassafras program to effectively fulfill our mission.
Our highly-structured, selfcontained K–6 Sassafras classroom focuses on behavior regulation and social skills acquisition — and it fills a critical void for families looking for a predictable structure, supportive environment, and tailored academics for their children with Autism.
We aim to expand this program to make it available to more young students, which may include moving the program to a new location to allow for additional growth.
Expand the TQS Practicum & Internship program to support new professionals.
The internship program provides college students with a transformative opportunity to work with TQS students with complex challenges, allowing interns to explore a potential career path and gain hands-on experience.
Expanding this program will support our day-to-day classrooms, as well as the professional growth of new professionals. It will also help TQS recruit top talent to our school.
Create a Disabilities Studies program to teach students to advocate for themselves.
At TQS, we want all students to blossom socially, behaviorally, and academically — and part of this growth requires becoming a self-advocate.
By developing a Disabilities Studies program, TQS students will learn all about their disabilities and how to get the help and support they need. This program may be conducted during homeroom, advisory, recreational therapy, and social skills classes.
ü ü ü
Institute a school-wide executive functioning curriculum.
TQS is dedicated to supporting all students as they build and expand their executive functioning skills, as these skills can greatly influence a person’s ability to achieve their fullest potential.
Implementing executive functioning skills training across all classrooms and grade levels, as well as providing ongoing training for faculty, will ensure students are building these critical skills over time.
Continually enhance our program to remain competitive in our local market.
Our current and upcoming programs have incredible opportunities for growth and expansion, and we will explore new ways to keep our services on the leading edge of research and practice.
This may include experimenting with new programs; implementing mastery-based education and grading across the school; developing Middle School and High School portfolios; and using assistive and instructional technology and artificial intelligence for AI-digital literacy and cyber safety.
“We offer researchbased programs to deliver diagnostic and prescriptive instruction in structured literacy instruction through the Orton-Gillingham approach and in social-emotional learning by applying the practices of Responsive Classroom and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions.”
— Miyoung Glenn, Assistant Head for Student Affairsü
ü
#5
Audacious Innovation GOAL
We will explore significant, strategic opportunities to expand our school, support our mission, and extend our program to underserved children and families.
“Our school — and this new strategic direction — is unique in both our intentions and our actions. We aren’t afraid to evolve with the latest research, set big goals, and execute complex strategies. We aren’t afraid to make bold strides.
When our community commits, nothing is impossible. I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together next.”
— Alex Brosowsky, Head of SchoolWe Commit To:
Think big! We have big ideas and bold dreams, and to make them a reality we plan to explore innovative new possibilities.
While these opportunities are still in the brainstorming phase, we will continue to explore groundbreaking concepts, such as:
• Researching a potential year-round schedule
• Offering a residential program for high school, post-graduate, and adult living
• Developing a program that serves our community members for their entire lives
• Exploring satelliting or merger opportunities to make our program available to students everywhere
When it comes to serving students with complex challenges, we believe the sky’s the limit.
ü
in the world.”
“My child is honored, loved and encouraged.”
“We have more fun, quality time as a family now.”
“TQS celebrates uniqueness.”
“TQS truly lives up to their model of being a place where childhood shines.”
“
“At TQS, I can remove the armor I wear everywhere else
“My son is telling me he loves school — for the first time ever! He has lots of friends and can be himself.”
“TQS allows children to be who they are and they meet them where they’re at.”
“My daughter has friends. She’s never had friends before.”
“TQS is a place where children labeled as having ‘behaviors’ can learn and thrive.”
“TQS is a place where a kid can be a kid.”
”
“I love that he’s happy learning and he feels supported at TQS.”
Thank you to the many individuals who worked together on this plan.
Strategic Planning Sub-Committee
Alex Brosowsky
Lori Boccuzzi
David Charles
Miyoung Glenn
Ginnie Im
Greg Mattle
Frederick Pratt
Kristen Stevens
Board of Trustees
Susan Baker
David Charles
Nicole Chisholm
Bob Cotter
Huston Dawson
Betsy Eschallier
Alan Folsom
Frank Jarrett
Bhavesh Mankar
Greg Mattle
Laju Obasaju
Frederick Pratt
Ann Reece
Jason Ross
Karen Russell
Shannan Schuster
Karen Wright
Ready to help lead the change?
Here’s how you can support
The Quaker School at Horsham’s strategic direction:
Stay Informed
Review TQS’s communications regarding updates to and progress against the strategic plan. These communications will be distributed periodically through our Shine Together blog, updates from Head of School Alex Brosowsky, and specific e-newsletters.
Share Knowledge
Take advantage of opportunities to inform family members, friends, and colleagues of the existence of our strategic plan, goals, and strategies, and encourage them to review the information.
Ask Questions
As you read the strategic plan and future updates, you may have questions or want to know more. Refer to the Q&A document on the TQS website as a first resource, and if questions remain, email development@quakerschool.org. We want to know your questions and will provide timely responses.
Become Involved
Several of these goals and strategies will require the formation of small groups and committees. Others will necessitate identifying subject matter experts and developing relationships to effectively execute a particular action, or cultivate donations and monetary gifts.
To learn more about these strategic initiatives, or to get involved in this exciting new chapter of the TQS story, contact development@quakerschool.org.
250 Meetinghouse Road, Horsham, PA 19044-9869 www.quakerschool.org | 215.674.2875 | development@quakerschool.org