I have applied to Andover this year for admission in 9th grade. Can any parent/current student share their impressions about new Head of School (Mr. Kington)? Do you find him engaging? Does he send out regular emails updates, does zoom calls with current students, talks about changes he would like in the school? Is he approachable? Do you find him motivating?
I would describe the new Andover HOS as distant. There have been some formal zooms and messages over the past 9 months from HOS. The overall communication to families under his leadership during the pandemic has been inconsistent, disjointed, and generally lacking.
As a human, he has refused to speak with parents/families. I know of numerous examples of this. These have not been requests to talk about silly, unimportant things. They have been serious situations in which students/families were struggling. But he has refused to listen/speak in those situations.
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I would encourage you to internet search Dr Kington and Phillips Academy. There are a few videos under the school’s various YouTube accounts that you can watch and get a “feel” for him yourself. I have watched them all (though not recently). My personal summary is that I know his history and I know he has progeny that will attend the school, but I have no idea what specific initiatives/plans/ideas he has for Andover. My impression of Dr. Kington as head of school is not positive thus far. His communication has been inadequate, transparency lacking and sincerity nonexistent. I have “felt” a lack of school leadership, particularly compared with the prior head of school (Mr. Palfrey).
I will not speak of my child’s opinion regarding the head of school, but factually, Dr. Kington has not “popped in” during any of my student’s Zoom classes during the first half of this school year.
To directly answer your questions:
No, no, no and no
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It’s the same situation with faculty, staff, students, and every other stakeholder. Distant, one-way messages that fail to even communicate what is needed to be known.
I would say it’s more mixed than universally as described. But I do agree that on balance the communication has not been good.
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