Head of School

Lifelong Learning

Dear parents,
 
Tower Hill's faculty members are committed to lifelong learning, and they model this each day with and for our students. We have an ongoing commitment to provide meaningful professional development for our teachers; studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between professional development and students' experiences in the classroom.
 
​Supporting and investing in Tower Hill's teachers is one of the core tenets within our Strategic Plan. Last Friday, Tower Hill faculty were able to: 
  • travel to Baltimore for the National Science Teachers Association Conference.
  • attend the MCRC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, at which two of our faculty members were presenters and over 1,200 educators convened. Tower Hill, Episcopal Academy and Tatnall School were well represented with nearly all faculty from each school attending. 
  • visit Delaware State University for SHAPE Delaware's physical education conference.
In order to ensure the continued level of excellence that is central to a Tower Hill education, we are exploring ways to increase our commitment to professional development for our faculty. Savvy independent school parents know to pay attention to what portion of both time and budget is allocated to professional development. We will certainly share benchmark studies we are currently undertaking to ensure Tower Hill stacks up well in this regard. 
 
Simply put, our teachers deserve top-notch support, and that includes time to connect with each other, share ideas across disciplines and divisions, represent Tower Hill as presenters, and learn more about what counterparts at other schools across the region and nation are doing. The more committed a school is to professional development, the stronger the student experience becomes. 
 
Similarly, it is also good for other teachers to come to Tower Hill for professional development opportunities. This week Tower Hill hosted an ADVIS (Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools) conference on enrollment management for over 90 admissions directors from around the region. Attendees remarked repeatedly about the happy bustle they could sense here at Tower Hill and what a beautiful campus we have. 
 
We look forward to the Upper School theater production of Arsenic and Old Lace next week, we have a Lower School Town Meeting on the horizon, and we have some exciting athletic teams to root on. Fall is surely in full swing at Tower Hill! 
 
Cheers, ​
Bessie
 
Elizabeth C. Speers
Head of School
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