Our Search Committee shares with The Country School community the results of its anonymous Head of School Search Survey.
Dear TCS Community,
Below are the results from The Country School’s “Head of School Search” survey. To the 247 anonymous participants, thank you for your participation, the sharing of your thoughts, and the high level of engagement! Reassuringly, there was a high degree of consistency in responses across the types of participants which also is reflected in the aggregate results. Broadly, the results reveal that the participants value the quality of our faculty, our academic emphasis, and our school community. In the new Head of School, they would like to see an experienced and capable leader who can continue to both communicate a vision for, as well as build, a tight-knit, collaborative, and successful academic community.
Please recall, the survey responses were anonymous, and the participation rate was high with over 247 individual participants. Of note, participants self-identified their relationship to the school. For example, a teacher or alumnus with an enrolled student may have identified their primary relationship as teacher, parent, or alumnus.
Thank you again for your input and engagement!
Primary relationship to the school: (survey participants self-identified)
Faculty
Admin
Current Parent
Past Parent
Trustee
Alumni
Friend of School
Total
29
4
120
50
7
26
11
247
Which 3 phrases best describe what you value about the school?
Academic excellence
75%
Small class size and student to teacher ratio
51%
Committed teaching staff
42%
School’s sense of community
39%
Which 3 following areas should be priorities for the next Head of School?
Recruiting, retaining, and compensating high-quality faculty
71%
Enhancing academic excellence
53%
Balancing enrollment numbers with high admissions standards
35%
Which 3 professional experiences are MOST important for the new Head?
Leadership/management experience in a school
81%
Collaboration, team-building
38%
Effective communication
36%
Which 3 characteristics/qualities would be MOST important for the ideal Head?
Strong leadership skills
47%
Relatable; connects with students, families, staff
Kindergarteners have been participating in a 3 part HOHO (Helping Others; Helping Ourselves) project lead by Ferris and Laura Butler. Students packed boxes to be shipped to veterans and their families. The boxes
were filled with child friendly, donated items. Also in the boxes were handwritten letters from the students along with a handmade American flag craft. The Butlers carefully orchestrated this project, and we are very grateful for their time and efforts.
Congratulations to all our spring athletics award winners and to all our Cougar athletes who participated in sports and clubs! This spring, TCS offered Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse, Pickleball Club, Running Club, and Volleyball Club. Providing so many athletic opportunities took a village—thank you to our amazing coaches, volunteers, and parent drivers for making it all possible! And thank you to our students for setting an example of dedication and sportsmanship!
The Country School is proud to be celebrating its 90th school year. This milestone year also marks the beginning of a new chapter with the appointment of Jay Parker as the 7th Head of School.
The Country School, Talbot County Free Library, and the Avalon Foundation, sponsors, join with fourteen other community organizations to present Conversation & Homecoming with Carole Boston Weatherford and her son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, a program free and open to all.
The Country School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational, admission, and employment policies, or its financial aid, athletic, and other school administered programs.