QUAKER VALUES AS A NORTH STAR IN A NON-QUAKER SCHOOL

Minnie Lee

Background

After two decades of working and living at George School, I made the decision to leave Friends education for a promising and exciting leadership opportunity in the Midwest. This decision came with a heavy heart because Quaker values have been fundamental in shaping who I am in all facets of my identity. The power of process, refection, perspective gathering, and centering the Light in others has made me a better parent, wife, daughter, F/friend, and educator. These very tenets born out of my time at George School ironically resulted in the choice to begin a new life in the Twin Cities.

So, with Quaker beliefs and testimonies close to my heart, I began my first year as Upper School Principal at St. Paul Academy and Summit School (SPA) in the fall of 2023. SPA has an aspirational mission and core values with many commonalities to Friends schools, yet I struggled to keep up with the faster pace of the school and felt the weightiness of decision-making that was different from what I was accustomed to. In a short amount of time, my leadership skills were tested by various circumstances, which included: making difficult decisions around student discipline, supporting teachers’ professional and emotional needs, helping families process programmatic changes, and most notably, managing tension from the Israel-Palestine conflict.

These are all complex matters, and the search for truth in unity – “a seeking of the Light in an atmosphere of love, trust, and mutual forbearance” remained elusive at best (Advices and Queries for Friends School Community Life). I fumbled my way, grew impatient, and lost confidence in my leadership. What I realized is that one cannot simply bring Quakerism to a non-Friends school. It was unfair and irrational to expect the SPA community to readily embrace the Quaker ethos. However, in discerning what is good for the whole community, I have found steadiness in the humanism of Quaker principles–creating space for the expression of diverse viewpoints, folding refection into daily practices, relying on stillness to identify emotions and biases that get in the way of constructive thinking, and valuing the gifts of every individual in community–for the success and well-being of students in our care.

Discoveries and Next Steps

In my first year of principalship, I have learned many lessons about conflict resolution, change management, crisis leadership, and the importance of effective communication. I am immensely grateful to the faculty, administrative team, and leadership team at SPA for their support in helping me navigate these lessons.

Parents, too, have been instrumental in my learning within a new school community. Of all the constituents at SPA, an area of growth for me as a school leader is thinking about how to support parents and envisioning what learning together with parents entails. Rather than beginning from a deficit mindset of parents as “the problem,” I prefer to see their Light, affirming their indispensable role in helping schools make thoughtful, mission-driven decisions.

Considering the changing landscape of the parent-school relationship, I am curious about the following:

• What does a healthy parent-school partnership look like in regard to programming and engagement?

• What structures do schools have in place to foster strong partnerships with parents?

• How do school leaders nurture collaborative relationships with parents?

• What practices are effective in building a culture of trust with parents, so they feel a sense of belonging in school communities?

These queries, which will be posed to independent schools, combined with further examination of the ways in which my school engages with its parent community will lead to a greater understanding of how meaningful partnerships can be intentionally cultivated. In this year of great transitional change, I am at peace with the fact that my action research is only in the beginning stage. And I am at peace knowing that Quaker values integral to my leadership style will guide this work moving forward.

MINNIE LEE

Upper School PrincipalSt. Paul Academy and Summit SchoolSt. Paul, MN

Friends education was discovered by sheer serendipity. I joined George School’s faculty in 2004 as a Biology and Chemistry teacher. The intention of teaching for one year turned into an amazing run of 20 years. Nurtured by thoughtful school leaders and colleagues, I’ve been fortunate to hone my craft as a classroom teacher and develop leadership skills through roles, such as Assistant Dean, Co-Clerk of Faculty Concerns Committee, and Director of Learning Center Services. It has been a privilege to work and live in a community bonded by Quaker values. As I continue my professional journey at St. Paul Academy and Summit School as Upper School Principal, I hold tenets of Friends education–silent refection, continuing revelation, and minding the Light–close to my heart.