Leading with Head and Heart

Mark Reed will step down as Head of School on June 30, 2021. During his 12-year tenure, his inspired leadership and unwavering commitment to the Country Day community have made a transformational impact on our school.

By Lee-Anne Black, editor

Twelve years ago, the June 2009 issue of Perspectives included a feature story about Mark Reed, Country Day’s newly appointed head of school. In reviewing that story, what’s most striking is how the vision that Mark set out in that initial interview clearly coincides with the programs and school progress achieved during his tenure. By leading with his head and his heart, Mark Reed accomplished what he had envisioned for the future of Country Day.

Take for instance, this quote from the 2009 story: “A personable and friendly man, Mr. Reed began our meeting by enthusiastically demonstrating his new Kindle 2—the latest digital reading device from Amazon. ‘Imagine students one day carrying something like this to class, rather than lugging heavy backpacks,’ he suggested.”

There is no question that innovation was amplified and integrated across the school over the past decade. In 2014, after two years of careful study of best practices and student outcomes related to technology use, Country Day implemented our 1:1 technology initiative. In addition to providing all students in grades 4–12 with a personal computing device, the school ensured faculty were well equipped to blend technology with traditional learning and we became the first area school to be named a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School.

A year earlier, in 2013, the Summer Science Outreach Program was created to connect Upper School students with internships in university lab settings. Since then, nearly 100 graduates have participated in these primary research opportunities and the corresponding Science Symposium to present their findings. (Read more about some of these graduates on page 28.) Additionally, programs like Hour of Code Week, 3D printing initiatives, and dedicated Makerspaces on both campuses help to deepen and connect learning across subject areas and disciplines.

During Spirit Week, the Class of 2010 had fun dressing up as Mark Reed, their new head of school.

A Focus on What’s Most Important

Hired toward the end of the 2008–09 economic recession, Mark recognized the challenges facing all independent schools at the time. He said back in 2009, “This is an opportunity for the school to look closely at what’s important, why it’s important, and what we need to do to make sure we are being good stewards of tuition dollars. If you focus on the most important things—the teaching, the learning, and the care for students—the rest of it can fall into place.”

In 2011, he launched a student-focused and community-involved Strategic Planning process, which led to the development of four Shared Visions that guided the school’s continuous improvement over the past seven years. In addition to the advances in educational technology, other significant outcomes stemming from Mark’s leadership in developing and implementing a strategic vision include:

• $92.5 million raised over the past five years in the largest comprehensive campaign in the school’s history.

• The transformation of the Cannon Campus including the addition of 72,000 square feet of educational space for the construction of Purdy Center for Science and Mathematics, Hance Lower School Learning Center, Dowd Student, and John and Claudia Belk Upper School Learning Center. Additional campus improvements still underway include the new Performance Gym and the Klein Family Natatorium, new athletic turf upgrade, and the recently acquired property on Carmel Road.

• Strength in admissions and enrollment evidenced with an increase in inquiries and applications every year over the past six years, an average 96% re-enrollment rate, and the largest enrollment in the history of the school.

• Significant diversity, equity, and inclusion programming added to our curriculum; increased faculty and leadership of color; increased the Board of Trustees to 23% people of color, enrollment to 20% students of color overall, and 27% of newly enrolled students in the past year; created a Board Diversity Initiative to allocate $1.4 million per year to recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse students.

• A renewed focus on student wellness in recognition that the well-being of our students is core to their abilities to lead healthy, productive, and joyful lives both now and far beyond their time at Country Day.

Other programs and events developed under Mark’s tenure include the Annual Community Art Exhibit, featuring works from special artists, such as Romare Bearden, W. Louis Jones, and others; the Parent Speaker Series, bringing national experts to our campus; the Senior Externship program, which gives students exposure to real-world career settings; the All-School Convocation, which brings the entire academic community together to set goals for the year; and the development of a new school logo and the Country Day Ready messaging to summarize how educators fully prepare our students for the future.

Under Mark’s leadership, so many committed and generous community members have come together to play critical roles in our school’s success. This broad and enthusiastic engagement in the present and future of Country Day is a key part of his legacy and will be the springboard for our (continued next page) ongoing success in the years ahead. On behalf of the entire Country Day community, I extend heartfelt gratitude to Mark for his exceptional service.

—Scott Stevens, Chair Board of Trustees

In March 2011, Country Day’s Hance Family Gallery was an exhibition site for the citywide Romare Bearden 100th Birthday Celebration. Mark, along with Patrick (former trustee) and Judy Diamond, loaned works from their personal collections.

Mark cares deeply about the well-being of every member of the school community. I witnessed this as a teacher, as a parent of Country Day alums, and as his daughter’s 4th grade teacher. He is approachable and action driven— whether discussing literacy at a JK-12 Academic Council meeting or during an impromptu meeting about the well-being of teachers at the beginning of the 2020–21 COVID school year. Mark has served as a role model for me; motivating me to push myself professionally and participate in school life beyond the responsibilities of a classroom teacher.

—Brooks Williams, Lower School Lead Teacher

Mark with Sandra and Verl Purdy in September 2018, at a ceremony to recognize the opening of the Purdy Center and the Hance Lower School Learning Center.

Student-Centered Approach

Building relationships and a constant focus on what’s best for students have been key to Mark’s leadership style at Country Day. Early on he said he planned to get to know the culture of the school one story at a time. That might have come in the form of opening car doors to greet kindergarten families, hosting a luncheon for retired faculty, working out with the varsity girls’ volleyball team, popping into a Parents’ Association meeting, attending an alumni event in New York City, keeping his door open to all faculty and staff, or chatting with a prospective family in the lobby of Levine, just to name a few of the many kinds of community touchpoints he worked into his average day.

Students never knew where they might see Mr. Reed... sometimes he was chef for the day.

In all these conversations, mission and serving students well were always front and center for Mark. He often emphasized the importance of educators going beyond exceptional academics to help shape students to become adults who lead purposeful lives—instilling traits like empathy, moral courage, kindness, grit, and perseverance. This student-centered approach to the work Mark achieved during his tenure has propelled Country Day into a position of incredible strength for the future.

Mark always prioritized student events, like the Middle School Spelling Bee. He is pictured with retired PE teacher Kevin Daly and 2010 Spelling Bee winner Manu Amin ’15.

When searching for a high school to call my home, Mr. Reed’s warm and infectious personality made Country Day stand out from all the local schools. As a student, Mr. Reed’s hellos and friendly visits across campus always brightened my day and personified the administration and faculty’s love for its students. As Student Body president, our monthly meetings not only allowed me to grow as a leader, but showed me the true value of communication. He always helped me dissect seemingly unsolvable problems and perceived barriers. Mr. Reed truly exemplifies Country Day’s willingness to go above and beyond for its students. His presence will be greatly missed.” -Kimai McPhee, ’20

Mark with the Girls’ Golf team on Senior Night in 2018.

Mark Reed with Head of Upper School Matt Less, Marcel Souffrant ’12, Eryn Ratcliffe ’13, and Alex Kim ’13, all recipients of highly selective merit scholarships. During Mark’s tenure, 14 Morehead-Cain, Robertson, Park, or Jefferson Scholarships were awarded to Country Day students.

Thank you, Mark Reed for your leadership, your dedication, and your remarkable body of work. We are Country Day Ready!