The Index Eutxia Swzein Dokei
Volume LXXIII, No. 4
December 2011
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Dr. Cox speaks out
at Haverford?
the classroom, it’s broke. Our teachers do a great job. [And] it’s not my accomplishment, it’s a big committee: the teachers have to buy into it and the administration has to keep it going, but we’re [now] having the right kinds
Dr. Joseph Cox (JC): I think the absolute best [accomplishment] was the whole renovation of the teachers’ salary scale and evaluation system. I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen the packet that we did. It was actually the lead article of the Independent School magazine back in the fall of 2003. When I first got here, there were all different ways to do salaries and benefits. And, essentially, a lot of independent schools’ methods are individual negotiation with the headmaster, so they’re all over the place: there’s no transparency, there’s no rhyme or reason to it… So we came up with a system used to consult different categories, and it’s actually become the model for a lot of other schools. In fact, Penn Charter and Malvern just adopted our system wholeheartedly. The Board [of Trustees] expected some accountability. And so we’ve got a very good evaluation system of our teachers - it’s the way to have the right conversation about education. The Board, most importantly, is committed to paying the teachers the best in the area and committed to having the best teachers, and I think we’re delivering on that. If it’s broke in
JC: Well… You know, it’s tough in a school where we don’t have a big endowment. If you’ve got a big Dr. Cox speaking at the 9/11 Rememberance Assembly. endowment, Photo by Ms. Dawn Blake it grows, and it of conversations. I’m now working on a makes money that you can use for programs. budget process, so people can see what their The way we operate now is we’re essentially career looks like. Essentially I start with the endowment neutral - there isn’t really extra teacher’s salary and I work from there, so that money to do extra things. We’ve got all kinds
James Shecter ‘13 James Shecter (JS): What do you think were your best accomplishments during your tenure
everything’s where it should be. Obviously, the second thing would be improving facilities that needed improvement. But that’s secondary to the quality of the teachers.
JS: What do you think was the biggest disappointment or something with which you could have done more during your time here?
The tirade of Sandy Hingston Grayson Sessa ‘13
It is pretty clear that Ms. Sandy Hingston is no fan of Haverford. But this revelation should come as no surprise; the bulk of the online content of the Philadelphia Magazine is a collection of unsubstantiated opinion pieces directed at unfortunate targets. Some of the magazine’s previous work includes “Haverford School’s Prized, Chinese Hoops Recruit,” which refers to Fifth Former Tao Xu as a “possession”; “The 4 Most Annoying White People in Philadelphia,” the ~200 word work of an angry author taking unfounded “shots” at random public figures, and “Main Line Mothers Are Raising Bratty, Spoiled-Rotten Daughters,” which is supposed to answer a reader’s question about teaching children to be grounded but instead bashes the Main Line
throughout most of the article. So, Head of Upper School Mr. Matthew Green, Tao, and Director of Admissions and basketball coach Mr. Henry Fairfax are hardly alone: rather, they are just the newest target of a writer who calls herself a journalist. Ms. Hingston’s flailing article hits Haverford from a variety of disturbing angles. An Inquirer news piece, dutifully researched with interviews with Haverford administrators, is her first target. She condemns the reporter as having been deluded by Mr. Green’s “bull.” She brushes aside Mr. Green’s claims of hoping to create a more diverse school with nothing more than an accusation that he is a hypocritical liar. No, she provides nothing other than an attack on Mr. Green’s... Continued on Page 14
Has Student Council Lived Up to Its Word?
How do students feel about the Student Council this year? Read articles about the Student Council’s lounge and Facebook pages on Page 3.
Wi-Fi Network Sees Improvement Jake Pechet ‘15
The Wi-Fi network is an invaluable asset that does not receive the attention it deserves at Haverford. Some say the only time it draws recognition is when it is not working well, which can lead to frustration. Students only see the finished product, but does anyone truly know what has gone into creating a school-
wide Wi-Fi connection? The Haverford Wi-Fi network was first installed in 1998 in the old Wilson Hall building. It was funded by a government grant intended to erect a collaborative workspace for science and math teachers. It served the purpose of connecting students and teachers in different rooms on the same floor, but even then, the network was not bug-free. Ms. Megan Connolly, director of technology, refers to the old network as “being on the ‘bleeding-
Winter Season Is Here
Sixth Former Sam Henderson and Fifth Former Drew Field playing Squash. Photo by William Ye
Survey Monkey poll of 100 Upper Schoolers from November 30 to December 2. Poll by James Shecter
QR Codes Are Here!
Scan these codes with a smartphone to view supplementary information about a topic. The one to the left gives more background information on QR Codes. The Index recommends the app QRReader for iPhone users and Barcode Scanner for Android users. Search for the next QR Code on Page 6.
The Fords’ athletes have just come off an amazingly successful fall season, beating EA by a whopping score of 4-1. Now, check out the Winter sports articles beginning on Page 9.
Tax Reform? Fords Speak Out
Fourth Former Jonathan Paras and Fifth Former Grayson Sessa debate the merits of raising and lowering taxes. Check out their opinions and sharp rebuttals starting on Page 15 for a dose of politics.
Survey Monkey poll of 100 Upper Schoolers from November 30 to December 2. Poll by James Shecter
of potential, though. You can take anything in our strategic vision: global education, and if you had money to do certain things, you could do a lot more, and that’s a little frustrating. Although, during my tenure, we raised over $100 million on three separate campaigns: a campaign that resulted in the building of the Gym, a campaign, though it was sort of quiet, that resulted in the building of the Lower School, and the campaign that just finished – the $60 million campaign that built [the Upper School]. And, at the same time, [raised money goes to] scholarships and what we’re going to do this afternoon [at the Thanksgiving Assembly], honoring teachers. Even though we have an alumni base with huge potential, you always, even in the face of probably having raised more money than any other school in this area...[pause] I just wish somehow we could have done even more. I’ll leave the school with not a very big endowment. After I leave, I may end up working with development. I’ve put things in place that I know are going to make our financial situation even better. Roxbury Latin [an all-boys private school in Boston] has a $160,000 per student compared to our $37,000 per student. And our reputation is good… excellent. Our brand is way up there, but we don’t have the financial underpinnings that some schools have. Continued on Page 4
edge,’” but now, she says, “We’ve made vast improvements.” Throughout the network’s thirteen-year history at Haverford, Ms. Connolly explains, “We have added wireless networks to different buildings. We would expand it more in the Upper School, and then we went to the Middle School, and we would put it in different spots in the Lower School, depending upon which teachers had laptops.” Obviously, the network has developed dynamically since its institution, and the expansion shows no signs of slowing. The most notable upgrade occurred in 2008, when the new Upper School was built. The technology department, along with aid from outside consultant Computer Systems Resource Inc., installed wireless access points throughout the building, enabling a completely wireless connection. Continued on Page 5
Also Inside the Issue... Presidential letter, pg. 2 The Ping Pong Tables, pg. 5 Compendio’s Picks, pg. 7 Eating with Sam, pg. 8 Hallowell Lecturer, pg. 9 Patel on the Eagles, pg. 12 Mac vs. PC, pg. 13 And much more...