Statement of Educational Philosophy

Leo P. Dressel

My attraction to education is one to a vocation rather than a career. My more specific calling is leadership within the context of independent education. My particular approach to leadership is greatly influenced and shaped by a number of sources, including the servant leadership model of Robert Greenleaf and the philosophy and spirituality of Ignatius Loyola that regards our talents and skills as gifts to be cherished, nurtured and shared.

I believe the task of the educational leader is to articulate a mission for the educational community that is positive and dynamic, rooted in moral values and vision, and oriented toward the betterment of individuals, society and the world. While the mission must be precise, it ought to be capable of diverse embodiments.

My commitment to education as vocation is rooted in my passionate belief in youth as our most precious resources and the mirrors of that which is best in humanity. The two most pernicious attitudes of adults toward youth are indifference and contempt. As a result I am firmly committed to creation of a school climate in which every person- and most especially every student- is seen and heard, respected and valued. Then teachers and administrators can rightly aspire to be role models. Our most effective teaching ultimately depends on the congruence between our rhetoric and our actions.

The best schools are those in which the standards are high. In turn these standards are primarily rooted not in external measures but in internal markers such as integrity and conscience. When I lead, I aim high. Yet my goal is not to create perfection, but rather a community in which as many persons as possible are inspired and empowered to be the best they can be. I want schools to be places in which young people are free to learn from successes and failures, places marked simultaneously by challenge and security. The best schools are those characterized by intellectual rigor but not pedantry, pride but not arrogance, critical thinking but not cynicism, comfort but not complacency.

Our schools must more and more prepare young people to live in a world that grows ever smaller, ever more diverse, and ever more fragile. Our children face possibilities simultaneously wondrous and terrifying. Simply put, educational leaders have the privilege and opportunity to help young people work to build a twenty-first century world full of wonder rather than terror. I can imagine no calling more noble, no role more rewarding, no profession more important.