We will recruit and retain motivated faculty and staff, and empower them to explore the best models of teaching and learning, so they can inspire the next generation of students.

Teachers inspire students best when they themselves are inspired. When teachers who are lifelong learners empower students to “live more fully in Truth,” they demonstrate respect in a way that can shape and change lives.

At Sidwell Friends, teaching and learning are inextricably linked. When teachers and coaches embolden students to pursue their purpose, they unlock our students’ potential and awaken their minds and spirits. There is no limit to how much good teachers can inspire and transform students.

Sometimes, living in the truth calls teachers to reflect critically on their craft and, in Sidwell’s words, “discard methods and customs good enough in their day but not adapted to present needs.” Because our faculty are called to help students grapple with challenges, solve problems, and face moral dilemmas, we look to provide them with resources to strengthen a culture of caring and intellectual inquiry.

To do this work well, we must attract diverse, creative, and engaged teachers who are committed to Quaker principles. We seek to retain talented professionals who have the motivation and skills to inspire confidence and to elicit the goodness and talents of each child.

We will:

• Create a center for teaching and learning to enhance a culture of caring, collaboration, creativity, and risk- taking among faculty to elevate student learning and engagement.
• Create professional development programs and evaluation protocols to address all facets of faculty work, including areas of equity, justice, and Quaker education, and to stimulate meaningful growth and career satisfaction that will enable the School to continue retaining outstanding faculty.
• Reimagine how we allocate time by revising schedules to be more responsive to student needs and to provide programmatic flexibility.
• Partner with universities and institutes to promote innovation, research, and interdisciplinary learning.
• Raise endowment funds to support excellence in teaching and strengthen the employee compensation package, including salaries, to enable faculty and staff to live more comfortably in a costly metropolitan area.
• Design a dynamic recruitment plan to attract and retain highly skilled and motivated faculty and staff who reflect the diversity of our student body.