STRATEGIC
PLAN 2020
A
ll schools evolve. The really good ones do so with their mission, core values, and a sense of their history at the center of their thinking. Holland Hall is not the same school it was upon our founding in 1922, but our deliberate focus on creating an apprenticeship in self-discipline and on helping every child in our care find their light and share it broadly in service to others remains the anchor for our decision-making. In honoring the education we have provided for nearly 100 years and in looking to the future, I am delighted to share with you Holland Hall’s next strategic plan—one rooted in our mission, our values, our Episcopal approach, and in our confidence of what’s to come! The five broad themes and the numerous, sometimes daunting, enumerated tasks are derived from nearly two years of listening, constructing, seeking feedback, and editing. In various forms, they focus our efforts on creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community for all our families. They offer a premium experience for our families, one that will ensure the next generation of leaders is ready to serve. It’s a widely inclusive document that sought input from every imaginable school constituency: current students, alumni, parents, faculty, current and former board members, retired faculty, administrators, and community leaders. Internationally renowned thought-leader and independent school advocate Grant Lichtman provoked our efforts, leading a retreat of 100 individuals from those constituent groups. The day-long workshop helped us bookend our thinking and generated a considerable number of ideas to explore. Nearly 1000 data points surfaced that day, and I remain thankful for everyone who offered their Saturday to the cause. From there, we conducted eight different listening sessions open to anyone in the Holland Hall community, including a dedicated faculty meeting so we could hear from every teacher on campus. The conclusion of those sessions resulted in another 1000 data points. All of this input—2000 data points, 20 hours of listening, a broadly sent survey, input from 15-year-olds to grandparents—was taken to the Board of Trustees’ Strategic Planning committee for review. Under the apt leadership of Board member and Holland Hall parent Mr. Tim McFerrin the committee oversaw five revisions of the document to bring us to our priorities for the next five to seven years. As you will see, they are as bold as they are grounded in our mission and values. As we continue to weather this storm of Covid-19, and as we come to terms with racial justice in America, it’s time for us to begin to look to the future, building on the foundations of our past to create a better school for our grandchildren. I want to thank our faculty and Board of Trustees, particularly our Board Chair, J.W. Craft, and Tim McFerrin, for their leadership and commitment to seeing this collective vision become a reality for our students, for Holland Hall, and for the future of Tulsa. Onward!
J.P. Culley, Head of School
1
A focus on vibrant lives Fostering well-being, critical thinking and a love for service
A truly enriching and profound education extends well beyond academic rigor and self-discipline. It includes a holistic approach to one’s education and well-being. According to a report from The Child Mind Institute at Yale University, depression and anxiety diagnoses for adolescents continue to rise, as do unhealthy social media rates for teenagers. But we also know positive, encouraging, and nurturing school and home environments, where adults clearly care about children and take time to listen to their ideas and concerns, can buffer against negative emotional states. By helping students learn to use their minds well, we help them learn to have the right mindset about their own growth and, therefore, how to serve others.
• • • • • •
H O L L A N D H A L L - S T R AT E G I C P L A N
Research, explore, and adopt programs, practices, and diverse experiences that engage the Holland Hall community in impactful socioemotional learning and wellness. Build more capacity for courageous and committed citizens by exposing students to the wonder and challenge of servant leadership, both in school and beyond. Embed throughout the community curriculum specific times, places, and moments to demonstrate gratitude, meaningful service, cultural competencies, and other essential practices of well-being. Develop and sequence family education programs and experiences that tackle essential, and sometimes difficult, topics of parenting in an ever-changing world. Evaluate, reimagine, and realign all student support programming across all branches to inspire even more confidence, joy, and critical thinking in our students, including learning services, counseling, chaplaincies, and health. Design and offer high-quality and robust extended day programming that connects students to one another, to the campus, and to healthy time management habits.
2
Spaces that welcome & engage Building on the success of the Tandy
How people move and interact in a space. The design of a classroom. Access to natural light. The openness of a campus. How we position the adults around children so our students know they are at the center of our thinking. All of these ideas are part of our curriculum—what’s spoken to our students about what Holland Hall values, and, in turn, what they learn from listening to these elements. Our campus is thriving, and the impact of new spaces, especially the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Dining and Wellness Center, continues to push us to ensure what is being spoken to our students and families aligns with our core values.
• • •
• • • H O L L A N D H A L L - S T R AT E G I C P L A N
Review and renew the campus master plan in light of the dramatically positive impact the A.R. and Marylouise Tandy Dining and Wellness Center has created for our community. Consider what new or revamped facilities are needed. Study what exemplary learning looks and feels like to inspire the design and construction of a new, versatile, and state-of-the-art middle school building and experience. Develop a centralized Welcome Center, including the enrollment, advancement, communications, business, and Head of School offices, to increase and improve internal and external communication and availability, allowing a seamless visitor experience. Expand and refresh STEM spaces, with a focus on design thinking, data analytics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and coding, in all branches and invest in additional faculty to develop and coordinate curriculum. Continue to revamp and invest in classrooms spaces and practices that are nimble and foster connectivity, empathy, discussion, reflection, dialogue, debate, student engagement, and active learning. Increase the quality and quantity of contact with nature by promoting meaningful and engaging outdoor learning experiences across campus.
3
Learning & leading at the center of it all Taking a hard look at curriculum & diversity
We know deep, transformative learning happens when students have a sense of ownership. When their school feels like “my school.” A place where voice is important. A place where judgment is about growth and not deficits. A place where students feel safe to explore science, leadership, technology, the humanities, human relationships, the boundaries of citizenship, and what it means to be alive right now! Our work to create a more inclusive and equitable school will be neverending, but the time to build on the growing diversity of our school community and to continue to do the necessary cultural work is now!
•
•
• • • •
H O L L A N D H A L L - S T R AT E G I C P L A N
Revisit Holland Hall’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and assess progress of top-level strategies to increase the diversity of our faculty, families and students and to create a school culture that is welcoming and inclusive to all. Create metrics to measure initial outcomes. Form a design team to research, define, and make recommendations on steps toward more studentcentered, personalized learning environments and experiences, including the impact advances such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence, will have. Create a strategic thinking design team who constantly monitors the changing tech landscape and considers its impact on the teaching and learning environment. Better align the K-12 curriculum toward clear learning outcomes that will focus on college and career opportunities and realities. Develop programs, mentorships, and internships to open students’ eyes to the multitude of opportunities in the professional world via our alumni and other networks. Develop a transcript and grading mechanism for internal and external use that communicates real skills and dispositions learned—not just grades.
4
‘Within reach of any citizen of Tulsa’ Ensuring a strong financial & philanthropic future
In his thoughtful history of Holland Hall, longtime Holland Hall Latin teacher and historian Ron Palma wrote: “We owe a debt of gratitude to the nine visionaries who founded Holland Hall School in 1922. Their avowed purpose was to “place a fully equipped Preparatory School of the highest standing where each student may receive individual attention, within reach of any citizen of Tulsa.” That charge to create more affordability and access to any promising student—to be within every family’s reach—remains to this day. Holland Hall, too, remains an incubator for leaders in Tulsa in local government, business, non-profits, education, and academia. We expand the scope of this influence and impact by redoubling our efforts to grow our endowment, fund more Master Teacher Chairs, and create a culture of philanthropy for both our current families and alumni.
• • • •
Enhance the endowment and annual fund to strengthen our historic commitment to the socioeconomic diversity of our student body. Continue to educate our community about the important role philanthropy plays in sustaining the School’s mission and educational excellence. Create strategies for additional endowment growth, revenue generation, and operational efficiencies to establish a more stable and predictable model that gives families more certainty about their financial commitment. Engage and connect alumni to one another, to their alma mater, and to current students and faculty and create opportunities for alumni to share their experience and expertise with students and to contribute to the future success of Holland Hall. HISTORY
•
H O L L A N D H A L L - S T R AT E G I C P L A N
Ensure our school’s history and its connection to Tulsa is known by every student.
5
Inspiring leadership in education Empowering teachers with the resources to thrive
Holland Hall’s faculty, curriculum, and approach is nationally known by colleges and universities. The professionalism and deep insight of our teachers creates an environment where students are challenged, where their ideas are tested and honed. It’s well within our mission to expand that influence, too. To offer ways to work with local and regional schools to learn and share with one another. But that can only be accomplished by ensuring we have the most outstanding faculty in the southwest and by ensuring we can retain them in an environment that acknowledges their commitments and sacrifices for our students and city.
• • • •
H O L L A N D H A L L - S T R AT E G I C P L A N
Review, align, and enhance our professional development partnerships to create a teaching and learning hub elevating student leadership and engagement in the broader education community. Assess and deepen current strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining teachers. Consider enhancing the evaluation system to reward and encourage innovative and responsive teaching styles that better our community. Ensure active teaching techniques, a key example being the Harkness method of teaching and learning, remain core components of the Holland Hall learning experience. Devote resources and study the possibility of online and blended learning environments offered to our students and others in the Tulsa market.
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE 2020
J.W. Craft Tim McFerrin
Chair, Board of Trustees
Chair, Board Strategic Planning Committee
Amy Koontz* Ashley Bray* Rt. Rev. Dr. Edward J. Konieczny* Christy Zahn David Ragland* Dr. Michael Saliba* Hal Salisbury* J.W. Craft* Jamie Zink* Joey Wignarajah ’00* Keith Goddard ’87* Ken Busby ’85* Leslie Kelly Margie Diaz ’82 Robin Flint Ballenger ’63* Roger Collins* Scott Asbjornson* Stephanie Jackson* Stephen Brady* Stephen Lake* Tim McFerrin* Sandra Alexander ’69** Phil Allen ’73** Barbara Sturdivant**
Bert Bibens Brent Casey Heather Brasel Henry Finch ’76 Jennifer White ’89 Justin Butler ’04 Richard Hart Steve Dyer Steve Heldebrand Tambra Williams Annatina Aaronson James F. Arens II Francois Cardinal Lori Carver Jen Clark Tim Clark ’83 Mollie Craft Rev. Everett Lees Trase Mahan Kamran Momeni Amy Santee TomM Sharpe Meredith Andrews Vanessa Jones Lori Swisher Susan Connor
ASTERISKS
I
* Board members
J.P. Culley
Tempest Dulany
Assistant to the Head of School
Matthew Christian Amber Graybill Vicki Vrooman Andrea Reese Kelly Jeffries Rev. Justin Boyd Micah Keyan Cassie Gray Ryan Myers Neil Bergenroth Byron Shen Eder Williams-McKnight Tyne Shillingford ’03 Ashlee Lowry Rick Cameron Leslie Long Dr. Keri Shingleton Phil Muir Jane Beckwith Matt Bristow Gayle Taylor Melissa Siemens Katie Arens Liz Parducci Linh Mokhtee Erin Redfearn
I
Head of School
** Emeritus Board Members
Tobey Ballenger ’91 Kim Dyce Alissa Hurley Silvano Parducci Sarah Poston Marta Almazovaite ’20 Daniel Bowers ’20 Becca Levit ’20 Michael Miller ’20 Regina Scott ’20 Jayden Sexton ’20 Lily Siemens ’20 Leah Walker ’19 Ashley Mabrey ’19 Johnny LaFortune ’19 Allan Kalapura ’19 Barrett Dunn ’19 Hannah Dow ’19 Toby Clark ’19 Nan Winton ’91 Ashley Parrish ’93 Brad White ’95 Megan Beck ’98 B.J. Pohl ’89 Julie Yeabower ’77