How We Hire

recruitment hiring integration community support lifelong learning

the foundation for extraordinary

HOW WE HIRE BY JOHN MURRAY, Dean of Academic Affairs

CONTRIBUTING FACULTY: AARON HOWARD, ALISHA HAYES, BOB CHANDLER, JENNA LAMM, SONIA BRADY, ED ZABOROWSKI

BBecause we know that at the heart of any excellent school are great teachers and coaches, we spend significant time, energy, and resources identifying, recruiting, hiring, and developing talented, committed educators from across the country. We are engaged in this process throughout the school year and summer, and at its foundation is a clear vision of what characterizes a great FRA educator. First, we are looking for educators who feel a deep connection to our mission to provide a challenging educational experience in an inclusive Christian community with an unwavering commitment to develop leaders of integrity and purpose. Second, we are looking for educators who are passionate about helping young people learn and grow in a variety of ways. Third, we are looking for educators who love their subject matter and have demonstrated expertise in teaching their subject matter. Fourth, we are looking for educators who are committed to their own ongoing learning in the teaching profession. Finally, we are looking for educators who value collaboration and are interested in being part of a true community.

We work to identify teachers and coaches with these characteristics throughout the year. We often meet with local educators or those relocating to Nashville and maintain files on those who meet our criteria. In addition, as we attend conferences, we work to expand our networks and take note of individuals who impress us as being potential fits for the FRA community. Due to these efforts, when positions do open up, we frequently have a list of good candidates. In fact, multiple faculty members have been hired through this ongoing identification process.

In addition to contacting candidates already identified, once a position opens up, we have several different ways of actively recruiting outstanding candidates. We post every open position on our website and list each position with several regional and national independent school recruiting firms. I, along with the appropriate division head and department chair, review applications, and those candidates appearing to meet our five criteria are selected for phone interviews. A small number of candidates, typically three or four, are selected to spend an entire day on campus where they each meet with me, Mr. Casey, and other members of the leadership team, teach a lesson to a class of students with multiple teachers and leadership team members in attendance, meet with a variety of teachers, and take a tour of campus. We then collect feedback from everyone, and a recommendation is given to Mr. Casey.

The process does not end when an outstanding candidate accepts an offer to join our FRAmily. Our onboarding process when they start is designed to bring them into our culture, provide them with the essential knowledge and tools to get started, and connect each individual with multiple people who will provide ongoing support and encouragement as they fully integrate into our community. In many schools that support and encouragement wanes over the course of the first year. The goal at FRA is that it never wanes. Every teacher, coach, and staff member, whether new or a 32-year veteran, co-creates a professional learning plan annually to ensure that we are truly a community of learners who always strive to improve our craft.

There have been numerous physical improvements to our campus over the last few years: a new road creating a loop around campus, a renovated chapel, a lower school canopy, and the Weicker Center for Student Life. These new spaces were designed and built to be reflective of the extraordinary interactions happening on our campus. Yes, the heart of a great school is found in great teachers and coaches, and we will continue to make this a priority.

AARON HOWARD, 2019

I graduated from UCLA and immediately began teaching third grade in a public elementary school in Los Angeles. After a few years in this position, I knew I wanted to earn an advanced degree and continue working in educational institutions, so I pursued a master’s degree in counseling from San Diego State University. It was harder than I assumed it would be to quickly find an admissions or academic counseling position, so I started to do social work for a foster care agency. Soon thereafter, I was hired as a full-time worship pastor for Mountain View Church in Temecula, California. It was through this position that I learned how to collaborate with peers on decision making, engage in strategic planning, manage teams well, and plan and execute large events. That job was a lot of work, but a lot of fun, and I am still in communication with the people I served alongside at that church.

I felt the call to begin preaching more actively, so I enrolled in Fuller Theological Seminary, where I studied both theology and ethics. Through my ethics courses, I researched the issues of diversity and racial reconciliation that had been important to me since I was a child. I enjoyed these classes so much that I decided to pursue a doctorate in ethics at Vanderbilt, so my family moved from Southern California to Nashville!

I served as a professor at Vanderbilt, teaching both Southern Religion and Culture and The Social Roles of Religion in the thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. During this time, I served as a teaching fellow for numerous classes in ethics, theology, and history. Toward the end of my degree program, I began teaching Religious Studies at an independent school here in Nashville. After three years teaching there, in 2019, I accepted the position as director of diversity, inclusion, and community at FRA.

My colleagues at FRA are indefatigable! It is astounding the support they provide for students and one another and how they teach leadership. The diligence, tenacity, passion, and intentionality of the faculty have been demonstrated to me many times over. There is genuine love and concern for every student. I get so motivated and encouraged to reach the bar they have set! My FRA colleagues work so joyfully and sacrificially that I can’t help but be inspired by them.

BOB CHANDLER, 1992

In high school it became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in music. My father was my band director, and music seemed to be a natural fit for me. In 1983, I entered Middle Tennessee State University. Late in my junior year, I postponed my graduation from university when I accepted a job as the saxophonist for the band Sawyer Brown, who had just been signed to Capitol Records. With Sawyer Brown, I traveled on the Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams, Jr., and Alabama tours, and had a full calendar of performance dates. It was a tremendous experience that included television, award shows, and large music festivals.

After a year on the road, I returned to MTSU to complete my music degree. Following graduation, I became a graduate teaching assistant with the music department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and continued working as a musician doing musicians union contract work, including Broadway road shows, Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus shows, as well as corporate music events.

It was in 1992 that I decided that I wanted to begin building my music education career through the independent school system. During this time I was able to teach at FRA as well as another independent school and then in 1999 the opportunity to return to FRA presented itself. FRA’s mission and community had always resonated with me. My sons were only six months and three years old at the time, but already my wife Sherri and I knew it was where we wanted to enroll our sons. And I knew it was where I wanted to continue my music education career.

I knew the faculty, I believed in FRA’s mission, and knew that it was not only the right place for me, but the best place for our family. My sons are both alumni now, and I continue to grow and be motivated by my role here. I am the biggest fan of my colleagues at FRA. I’ve now had the privilege to watch them from the eyes of a parent, as well as the eyes of a colleague. Our teachers constantly amaze me with the energy, love, and expertise they share daily with our students and each other. My colleagues continue to be uniquely innovative, highly driven, and passionate educators.

Our Faculty Fellows Program has brought talented, highly engaged, early career educators to walk alongside our students and staff, and their contributions to our school climate have been energizing! Year after year, our leadership has placed outstanding new faculty in key positions, helping us grow to be the best school in Nashville. With new course offerings, signature programs, and facility improvements, we are not standing still.

The students at FRA are like family to me. We share so many moments in the creative process of music making. As a band director, there are many students I will teach for eight years of their FRA journey. I love this responsibility! I grow to know their families, and I see

BOB CHANDLER, BAND DIRECTOR, INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC GRADES 5-12 B.M., Middle Tennessee State University AARON HOWARD, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND COMMUNITY Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; M.A., Fuller Theological Seminar; M.A., San Diego State University; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles

JENNA LAMM, ENGLISH TEACHER – GRADE 7 B.A., Vanderbilt University

ED ZABOROWSKI, ALGEBRA I, GEOMETRY HONORS, AP CALCULUS TEACHER B.S., Vanderbilt University SONIA BRADY, PHYSICS I, AP PHYSICS 1, INTRO TO ENGINEERING TEACHER Ph.D., Vanderbilt University; B.S., Trinity University (San Antonio, TX)

ALISHA HAYES, LOWER SCHOOL TEACHER – GRADE 1 Ed.D., Tennessee State University; Ed.S., Tennessee Technological University; M.Ed., Lipscomb University; B.S., Tennessee State University tremendous musical and social growth. I love seeing potential in a student and watching how they learn. They are becoming lifelong learners and leaders during their time at FRA. I love to see our students succeed, and I even love to see them work through the challenges that develop character, build confidence, and instill resilience. Witnessing our students overcome challenges, growing, and succeeding, is a true joy. Our students and their families, continually inspire me to be my best.

JENNA LAMM, 2016

When I decided I’d like to teach at an independent school, I looked all around Nashville. Through my appraisal, not one school compared to FRA. The community at FRA is unparalleled — we are truly a FRAmily. FRA’s mission of Christian inclusivity combined with the academic rigor resonated with me because I believe it is imperative to educate the whole child. I am proud to teach in a school that helps students advance academically while simultaneously motivating students to grow in empathy, kindness, and grit.

My colleagues truly impress me on a daily basis; I am beyond blessed to

work alongside such talented, compassionate professionals. As a teacher, they motivate me to try new activities, incorporate new technologies, find ways to address the needs of our diverse learners, and take educational risks. Additionally, they inspire me to give back to the community, grow spiritually, and be the best version of myself. I never lose sight of my own experience as a student. Many of these notions guide my teaching practices, and knowing that I impact the lives of each of my students during such a monumental stage of their lives inspires me to work hard for them each day.

SONIA BRADY, 2017

I moved to Nashville in the summer of 2011 to start a PhD program in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Vanderbilt after earning my BS in engineering science (summa cum laude) from Trinity University.

After my first semester as a teaching assistant at Vanderbilt, I knew teaching was going to be a large part of whatever I ended up doing. At the time, I figured that I would end up teaching at a small liberal arts university, but during my time at Vanderbilt, I started doing volunteer work in local middle schools through the Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science (VSVS) program. My work with VSVS then led me to become a science teaching fellow through the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach. By the time I was starting my last year of graduate school, it had become clear to me that K-12 education was where I was being called more so than higher education.

It was during my last year of my PhD program that I also earned my teaching certification and that I met informally with Mr. Casey. I interviewed for a position at FRA in October and signed a contract before the first of November for the following school year. I had intended to visit as many school settings as possible, but I fell in love with FRA my first time on campus. God made it abundantly clear that this is where I was supposed to be and that this was the job that He’d been preparing me for.

ED ZABOROWSKI, 1980

I chose a profession in teaching because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. I lost a close friend from high school at the age of 20, and that weighed heavily on me. I always wished there was more I could have done, and so I set out to help students make the right decisions in their lives. That has been the primary focus of my teaching career.

I began teaching at FRA in 1980 right out of college. Following my interview, I accepted a teaching position because I liked what I saw here — a small school with a family atmosphere.

And, while I played football in college, I had previously never considered how coaching and athletics could be an additional avenue of development for myself and the student body. I coached several sports in my first years at FRA and then transitioned into the role of director of athletics — a position I served in for 12 years!

I have stayed at FRA for several reasons. One was that my own children spent 15 years of their lives here. That was a special time for me. By the time they graduated I just felt like a fixture in the community. I wanted to continue to make a difference and grow as a person and educator. I still get butterflies in my stomach before every school year because so much is unknown. Will I make a connection with this new group of kids? Can I make a difference in their lives? Can I help them grow spiritually and emotionally? My goal as a teacher has remained the same: I want to help young people excel.

ALISHA HAYES, 2018

Prior to my interview at FRA, I had a feeling that it would be more momentous than the others. I was reassured by a friend’s words of advice over the phone. She told me to “just trust your gut, and let God guide.” Walking through the door at FRA, I felt tremendous gratitude not just for the opportunity to come and interview, but I immediately felt welcomed and at ease, greeted by smiling teachers at the door.

As the interview process continued, the strength of this community of educators became clear to me. I probably interviewed with seven or eight different staff members from across the campus, and each time I felt immediately welcomed and respected. I was also able to participate in a Friday chapel. I listened to children sing and saw the community come together to worship. Looking out into the sea of students and faculty, I knew this was what God had chosen for me.

It wasn’t an accident that I met the most amazing people at the People of Color hiring fair, and how I had dashed home to apply online. It’s evident to me that I didn’t chose FRA on my own, FRA also chose me.

What I love most about FRA is that everyone here wants to be here. As a teacher, I want to instill in my students that being loving, caring, and respectful is of the utmost importance. I am motivated each day by how my colleagues love and are committed to this school and the children. We unite as one through everything. Our division head, Rick West, is professional, understands children, respects and listens to the teachers, is encouraging, and always has a smile on his face. This is one of the most joyful places I have ever worked.