Fostering Lifelong Learning - Episcopal Academy

Professional Development:
Opportunities to Explore, Stretch, and Learn
Head of School Ham Clark’s advocacy for foreign travel and study
is well known. In addition, he strongly believes in the value of networking
with colleagues from around the nation to exchange best
practices and curriculum research. As we prepared for our feature
on professional development at Episcopal, Anne Marie Heil had the opportunity
to meet with Ham and learn more about his vision.
AMH: In researching this feature story,
it was wonderfully surprising to learn of
all the opportunities available to faculty
and of Episcopal’s tradition of granting
sabbaticals. What events in your professional
life led you to become an ardent
proponent for enrichment
HC: Perhaps the most important experience
for Ceci and me, in our professional
lives, involved leaving Boston and taking
a position at the Zurich International
School. We didn’t know anyone. Everything
was unfamiliar. I was serving as
Assistant Director of the school and Ceci
was teaching. I joined a rowing club in
order to meet people. All that was new
and different tested us daily. The experience
became important because through
it we discovered what we have to offer
and it required us to define ourselves.
We gained so much confidence and this
single experience caused me to become
an advocate for pushing students and
teachers out of the nest, out of their
comfort zone.
AMH: In looking at the list of opportunities
for this year, professional
development does not always include
leaving your home and residing in a new
culture or community. Many of opportunities
allow faculty to learn while still
working or spending the summer with
their families.
HC: They do include many local and
regional programs. What is critical is
that the faculty member be exposed to
an experience that allows them to try
new things and to return to their department
or unit and share what they have
learned. The experience should be about
thinking new thoughts and stretching
oneself.
I had a faculty member at Sewickley
Academy who taught American history
and who had never visited the Revolutionary
War sites in and around Boston.
He didn’t like to travel and was happy
teaching straight from the history
books. After much cajoling, I got him to
accept a school-funded trip for him and
his family to Lexington and Concord,
so he could see the sites and experience
the places where so much of American
history took place. The trip infused him
with energy and new information and a
frame of reference he otherwise would
never have had. And he had a great
time.
AMH: Do you find the faculty and
staff here at Episcopal are receptive to
taking on the challenge of professional
development
HC: They are receptive and our teachers
are eager to learn. We encourage the
faculty to pursue their interests and to
Faculty Sabbaticals Span 42 Years
1964-65 Dick Boekenkamp
1966-67 Randy Stone
1967-68 Harry Harris
1969-70 Tony Ridgway
1970-71 Charles Latham
1971-72 Edith Munger
1972-73 Carl Denlinger
1974-75 Dick Borkowski
1977-78 Beetle Fiero
1979-80 Bill Burdick
1980-81 Bill Dixon
1982-83 Jim Straub
1983-84 George Shafer
1984-85 Peter Vennema
1985-86 Jim Auch
1986-87 Bill Whelan and
Mimi Callahan
1987-88 Jay Crawford and
Bunny Borkowski
1988-89 Linn Carpenter
1989-90 Crawford Hill
1991-92 Dona Pearcy and
John Smith
1992-93 Bob Linker
1994-95 Dave Orehowsky
1995-96 Derrick Stephenson
1996-97 Win Shafer
1997-98 Bruce Stone
1998-99 Lance Cave
1999-00 Usha Balamore
2000-01 Mary French
2001-02 Phil Spear
2002-03 Anne Hall
(deferred to 2003-04)
2003-04 Andy Hess
2004-05 Chuck Bryant
2005-06 Sue Cannon
2006-07 Jennifer Rea
2007-08 Joyce Gavin (half yr) and
Elizabeth Cocco (half yr)
2008-09 Lee Pearcy
All dates indicate the year the sabbatical
was taken. For years that are omitted,
no sabbaticals were granted.
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