My First 40 Years – The Faculty Hiring Process

Some things have not changed since I entered the teaching profession in 1985. Hiring teachers has been, and always will be, the lifeblood of a thriving independent school. Beautiful campuses, amazing facilities, rich histories, amazing alums … none of those things matter if the school does not constantly replace wonderful teachers with more wonderful teachers. 

February and March are prime months for faculty searches. Teachers typically inform us in January if they are not planning to return. It falls on the Division Heads, Abby Abbott in Upper School, Stephen Blan in Middle School, Trey Blair in Lower School, and for coaches, on Athletic Director Leigh Block, and for our fine arts teachers, on Director of Fine Arts Lindy Heath, to reload with stars. They post openings on our website and access the “stables” of a few well-regarded search firms. Almost every search will include a national element, whether it generates worthy candidates from outside North Texas or not. 

After extensive pre-visit conversations (40 years ago those were long-distance calls, each of which came at a charge and had to be arranged ahead of time; in 2026 those are free virtual meetings thanks to Zoom), we bring two to four candidates to campus for extensive visits, to meet colleagues, to interact with students, to get to know our campus, and to teach a “sample lesson.”

This “audition experience” did not exist in 1985. It is considered essential in 2026. We want to see how a candidate interacts with a classroom, how they prepare a lesson, and how they pivot to meet the actual experience of the students. I always tell candidates that the lesson is obviously highly artificial. That all-important connection and rapport factor is compromised by being a one-time guest teacher. Nonetheless, the fodder for debrief on the lesson is rich. The Division Heads discuss with the candidates (and Leigh with PE teachers and coaches) how the lesson went, what worked, and what did not. They can do a remarkable job gauging a candidate’s fit for the Fort Worth Country Day student. I would say our hirers do a fabulous job applying the “best teacher” filter without creating a cookie-cutter. Our faculty is so strong because of its common strengths and unique characteristics. Keep enjoying your children’s wonderful teachers.