Abstract: Taking a head of school position should cause hesitation as the requisite gift-set seems daunting. As more classical schools launch across the country and more head of school vacancies are posted at established schools, the need for head of school candidates is high. For those considering the role, it is only natural to ask the question, “am I cut out for this?” Also for those who have accepted the role in the last few years and are experiencing its complexity, you also may be asking, “am I cut out for this?” This workshop is an attempt to help you answer that question. For most of you, the answer is probably, “yes.” You may just need some perspective, encouragement, and coaching. And for some, of course, it is possible you have taken on a role you weren’t designed for. In this workshop, I will describe my journey from teacher, to administrator, to head of school. I will work through lessons learned and essential deficits that had to be addressed to survive. I will describe the essentials needed for a thriving head of school work-flow and we will take an inventory together at the end. This workshop is really designed for any head of school or any considering the role.
Neil Anderson is the founding head of school for Trinity Classical School (TCS) in Houston and a board member for the Society for Classical Learning. After a few years of church planting and teaching at classical schools, Neil has been heading TCS for the last 13 years. He studied literature and theology at Wheaton College and then did his graduate work in the Liberal Arts at Houston Christian University. Neil’s wife, Marian, is the Dean of Campus at Harbor Christian Academy (an urban classical school in the center of Houston) and his four children are beginning to graduate from TCS (two of four so far) after being educated there from PreK-12. Classical education has been a family affair and a way of life. Neil has recently become more involved in leadership development and helping to coach and launch collaborative schools (hybrid) across the U.S. He is also passionate about poetry, 20th century art and literature, music, hiking, running, and birding.
