It has become increasingly rare in education to trust teachers, to allow them to make important decisions about what their students need to know and be able to do. A standardized approach to external testing, scripted curriculum, and pacing guides literally obstructs the cultivation of critical thinking, meaningful analysis, and deep reflection. When the power is removed from teachers’ hands, the juice goes out of the classroom.

Watkinson is the school that does it differently.

At Watkinson, responsibility for the educational program is placed in the hands of our excellent faculty. We are a community of educators who pay close and constant attention to our students — who they are, how they learn best, what challenges they most need to tackle as they grow into their smartest, most curious, capable, and resilient selves. It’s no small feat, but this is what’s at the heart of a Watkinson education.

From our classrooms to our advisory groups, from our rigorous dual diploma programs in the Creative Arts and Global Studies to our distinctive Learning Skills Program, Watkinson students are known well by their teachers and by one another. By balancing our commitment to personalizing learning with a strong sense of community and the primacy of relationships, Watkinson places each student in the center of her or his education. Our students are always in close and enduring proximity to brilliant teachers who know precisely how to design learning experiences that are rigorous, meaningful, and always driven by their students’ needs.

I invite you to come to campus — especially to attend one of our many information sessions, held during school hours — and see for yourself the difference a Watkinson education makes.

Best regards,

Teri Schrader
Head of School