Year 40: Boards of Trustees

Forty years ago, in my rookie year as a Teacher, Coach and College Counselor at Casady School in Oklahoma City, the School’s Board of Trustees was, to me, an intimidating group. I am not qualified to generalize about Boards at independent schools other than those where I have been an educator, but the change on the Board “front” from 1985, distant and intimidating, to 2025, engaged and supportive, is immense.

This week, for about the eighth year, members of the FWCD Board of Trustees were invited to a sort of “open house” in which they could wander around campus, in and out of classes, for several hours. Teachers and coaches were instructed to continue with their scheduled activities. This was not meant to be a show for the Board, nor a show-and-tell of the Board members themselves, but rather a close-up view for however many of our 26 Board members could block off time in their morning. View the Board Visit video. 

The morning concluded with a lunch debrief. 

Perhaps this Trustee Visit Day concept has existed at other schools for years. It began in earnest here through the efforts of then Board Chair Laura Bonnell Alexander ’88. Laura was not only a student and parent here, she had also been a teacher. That blend of experiences on 4200 Country Day Lane allowed her to create a wonderfully healthy atmosphere for the Trustee Visit Day. 

Board members are not involved in the hiring or firing of faculty. The only employee at the School for whom they are responsible is the Head of School. With that message clearly conveyed, teachers and coaches know they are hosting curious folks wanting to get a sense of the daily experiences of our junior kindergarten through 12th grade students. Some Board members are current parents. Some Board members are past parents. Some are alums. One of our current Board members was the Head of School at another ISAS school. Each and every member of the FWCD Board brings a very different lens to the Visit Day. 

The debrief this year was typical: Through all of the differences in perspective, the Board members reminded me with their observations how incredible the experience is at FWCD day in and day out. I have my own Visit Days most days of the school year. I know that what the Board members see is not unique to their one day on campus each year. I am so accustomed to the excellence of our teachers, the significant engagement of the students, and the taken-for-granted facilities. 

The comments I heard from the Board members 2025 visits kindled so much excitement and enthusiasm, even in my 11th year surrounded by FWCD excellence. Visiting classes with junior kindergarteners all the way through seniors, from PE classes to art classes, from ballet to biology, Board members noted highlights on October 7, 2025, that included: 

• Evidence of very intentional writing instruction and its progression, from early poets in first grade to high-level analysts in 12th grade English.
• Fabulous energy coming from our JK, K and 1 Mandarin program (a 30-minute push-in program a few times a month); a fully immersed French classroom of eighth graders; and advanced Spanish discussions in the Upper School.
• Art History for Upper School students, which combined the study of history with the creation of art.
• Perceptive observations of school culture, from the evolution in our Upper School Commons from a place of cell phones as campfires around which students gathered, to a cell phone-free Town Square with games, music and cross-grade level interactions.
• Fourth graders and sophomores alike meeting expectations of “standing and delivering” in front of their peers.

One visitor was particularly impressed by the teacher in his 49th year at FWCD (Jon Shipley), learning new tricks for managing neurodivergent students; and, from many of the Board members, I heard comments about different classroom furniture arrangements, lighting, and the use of mood music. They noticed it all.

Seeing the School, on a regular school day, through the eyes of our Board and then hearing their genuine admiration and appreciation for the experiences our teachers and coaches provide for our students makes the day a red-letter date on my calendar year after year. October 7, 2025, was yet another one of those red-letter dates.