Veteran Teachers’ Roundtable: The VCS We Know

VCS is proud to attract talented young teachers through our teacher training program, but we are also grateful to be a school where many staff members choose to build lengthy careers. These veteran staff members bring not only a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles but also invaluable institutional knowledge of the school and its students, helping to keep us connected to our alumni, traditions, and the stories of our past. They have so many valuable insights into the culture and identity of the school to share with their colleagues, and in typical VCS fashion, they do so generously.

In January, the entire VCS staff gathered to hear a roundtable conversation among a handful of our longestserving staff members: Karri Ankrom, Andrea Couch, Richard Rodriguez Douglass, Melissa Gordon, Helen Huang, Judy Kashman, Lisa Lowell, Jeannette Miller, Dan Mulaj, Rosalie Rivera-Chacon, and Alison Wiggins—a mix of teaching and administrative staff with over 100 years of combined experience at VCS. Moderated by Assistant Head of School (and long-term staff member) Jessica Romero, the open-ended discussion touched on the experiences that led each staff member to VCS, what makes our school unique, why they choose to stay, and more.

On Professional Development

“One of the things that I’ve always appreciated about VCS is that there’s always room to grow and there are lots of opportunities for professional development. Being a lifelong learner and somebody who is curious and hungry to learn new things, I’ve taken a lot of advantage of the possibilities to learn something new.”

—Judy Kashman, Woodshop Teacher

“The thing that always struck me about this place was that if you had an idea about pretty much anything and you were willing to put in the work to develop it, the administration is always going to let you go and do what you want to do. I worked in so many places that were so much more rigid, and it was like everyone had their own compartment, so to speak, and that’s where you have to stay, and that just isn’t the case here. So I think that’s pretty unique.”

—Lisa Lowell, Nurse

On Student Happiness

“One thing that has always stood out to me is that through whatever magic we create, our kids are happy, and to be teaching at a school where kids smile and are happy to be here has always made me happy. There’s something about the kids at VCS, and I think it’s somewhat special, because people don’t believe me when I say, “oh yeah, my students are emailing me over break, and they cannot wait for school to start,” and they’re like, “What? They miss school? They miss you?” And yes, our kids are very happy, and that’s something that—I don’t know, it’s magical, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved teaching here.”

—Karri Ankrom, Math Department Chair

“This is a very remarkable place. I’ve been in 10 or 12 other schools, and VCS parents really want to work with me. They call me all day, they email me, and they want me to help their children. It’s very unusual not to have a stigma about working with a psychologist, and I’ve worked with almost every parent here, and usually my experience is successful. The other thing that’s remarkable is that we have a self-referral process here. The children are allowed to ask to come see me. When I first started working here, I told my husband, “two 1st Graders came to me, and they were self-referred,” and he said, “who ever heard of a self-referred 1st Grader?” So I think this is a remarkable place. By the time kids get to 8th Grade, they’re completely comfortable.”

—Melissa Gordon, School Psychologist

On What Makes VCS Students Unique

“One of the things that I’ve always loved about the school is our way of putting older students together with younger students. It just warms my heart to see Book Buddies reading to each other in the hall. And I don’t think other schools do that, and I think that’s something really special that we have. There’s nothing like seeing a big, hulking 8th Grade boy reading to a little kid and being very tender about it. I think it’s wonderful.”

—Jeanette Miller, Music Teacher & Co-Coordinator

“Someone asked, “Who is the VCS Graduate?” and for me, three things come to mind, and maybe they aren’t true for everybody, but they seem to be traits we cultivate at this school, and those are critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity, in whatever form that takes—whether it’s an artistic mind or a scientific mind or anything else.”

—Judy Kashman, Woodshop Teacher

“By and large, our graduates are people who advocate and speak up and share what they think. Our students love to talk and share, and I think our graduates are out there advocating in their communities, and I think that’s really special.”

—Karri Ankrom, Math Department Chair

On What Should Never Change About VCS

“Something I think should never change is the fact that we have such a diverse group of people here and the idea that we are all very different in the way that we approach teaching, and I think that is so valuable. I have learned so much just by walking into another teacher’s room or collaborating with someone and seeing their perspective on how to carry out a project.

I say this a lot, but there’s no cookie-cutter teacher model here. And while we all have to meet certain academic standards, we are free to approach concepts in a way that feels authentic to us as teachers and pay attention to who is in our classrooms and create activities that match our students, which may not necessarily match the students next door or down the hall.”

—Rosalie Rivera-Chacon, 1st Grade Teacher

“I’ve been in this industry a long time. I’ve worked in commercial buildings, residential buildings, a lot of schools, but by far, this is the best place I’ve ever worked. It’s the respect for myself and particularly for my crew, who sometimes may feel like there is a language barrier. Everyone engages with them, and

I admire that. Everyone shows respect, and everyone is part of the same team, and that’s what’s really great about this place.”

—Dan Mulaj, Maintenance Director

“I came from an all-boys prep school in California, and it was pretty traditional, I wore a tie every day. And I was a fairly weird guy at that school, and I feel like I’m normal here. You know, just recently, I lip-synched with my kids to the big projector here for the whole Upper School, and I don’t think I would do that at many other schools. So the fact that I can do that, and it’s encouraged, and it’s part of the culture—there’s that love, there’s that weirdness, quirkiness, whatever you want to call it—I think it’s what makes the school beautiful and fun, and it’s what makes me come back every year.”

Richard Rodriguez Douglass, Upper School Social Studies Teacher