<p>
</p>
<p>Tom, We are only aware of the Headmaster change. What other administrative changes are taking place? Do the students view the changes that are happening now will have a positive impact on the school? Any popular figures leaving?</p>
<p>Peter Currie, '74, will replace Oscar Tang, '56, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.</p>
<p>[Trustee</a> Selection Process | News | The Phillipian](<a href=“http://phillipian.net/article/10454]Trustee”>Article: Antonio Pulgarin Speaks to Toxic Masculinity, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Latinx Issues in New Exhibition “Whispers of a Caballero.” – The Phillipian)</p>
<p>Additionally, Amy Falls, '82, is stepping down as Andover’s CIO to become CIO at Rockefeller University.</p>
<p>[Amy</a> Falls ?82 Leaves Position As Andover CIO | News | The Phillipian](<a href=“http://phillipian.net/article/10284]Amy”>Article: Antonio Pulgarin Speaks to Toxic Masculinity, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Latinx Issues in New Exhibition “Whispers of a Caballero.” – The Phillipian)</p>
<p>Of course, no one knows who Amy Falls is, but Oscar Tang is the benefactor of my scholarship and I know him relatively well - he’s Andover’s largest individual donor, having given over $50,000,000 over the course of his lifetime to PA. He’s getting old, though, so I can see how nice a [comfortable] retirement would look for him.</p>
<p>Students do know these changes, but again, we’re not worried, and neither are faculty - these new staff have served with the previous administrations and hold the same priorities and have been elected on that basis.</p>
<p>@MaterS: I’ve personally witnessed two slightly disruptive changes of “Head” at NYC day schools. While I’m sure you don’t want to be bashing the current head of a school, I do think it would be appreciated if you would elaborate on your earlier post. There are many people on this site making important decisions about schools in the next few weeks, so there’s no need to be cryptic. Much obliged!</p>
<p>Separately, for those of you not from a very large city like NY, it really makes no sense whatsoever to compare the top day schools with boarding schools. The top day schools have graduating classes of around 45 (excluding Horace Mann). They also do not have to fill out ECs to the same degree or seek geographic diversity as do the boarding schools. As a result, if you look at the materials from the top NYC day schools you’ll find that their SAT ranges are far higher than any of the boarding schools. This isn’t hard to understand if you look at a school like Concord Academy that has strong SAT scores but looks much more like a day school. The effect is far more pronounced in NYC.</p>
<p>Hi MaterS, I know a few people at Andover, and the general consensus is that she is friendly and nice, albeit often inaccessible to most students and usually just there for all school meetings and large events. It’s sad that she’s leaving since she’s had a positive presence, and no one knows who will replace her, though it’s likely that it will be someone outside of the school. I feel that there is not too much speculation, since people feel that it won’t really affect them directly. (obviously this doesn’t apply to all PA students. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>On a side note, I feel that the animosity here is totally unnecessary. pulsar, chill. Everyone can talk about their personal experiences and how much they love their own school. For me it is more important than the statistics, since if I were a prospective student I would want to have as much school spirit and love as many of the people on this board. Statistics are not as important as FIT, and all schools have their share of good and bad teachers. (my favorite/best chem teacher ever has only a BA from a school I’ve never heard of.) Let’s all just address the original topic and don’t add fuel to the fire. (:</p>
<p>Calaron – please explain the oxymoron - “often inaccessible to most students and usually just there for all school meetings and large events. It’s sad that she’s leaving since she’s had a positive presence” how can one be both?</p>
<p>Having her present for ASMs, which are attended by all 1,100 students, does not make her accessible. Yet we appreciate her. She’s kind, promotes down-to-earth perspective with her speeches on college admission, knows every student’s name, frequently attends games, and gives us Head of School Day :)</p>
<p>She’s well-loved enough that she’s earned the nickname “Babs” :)</p>
<p>Yup, Tom basically explains it. Hope that answers your question mhmm. And yup, everyone calls her Babs, affectionately. (:</p>
<p>calaron that was a cop-out, but in the interests of putting this thread to bed, ill accept it.</p>
<p>I agree with mhmm, that was a cop-out Calaron. With so many of our children making important decisions in the next 10 days, why start something like that and leave it unfinished.</p>
<p>Ouch ouch ouch… Where’s the civility, guys?</p>
<p>Please. Ask me whatever you want about this situation and I’ll tell you what I know. I’m a lowly senior, but I’ll do my best! I’ll start by saying that the fact the Head of School is leaving really shouldn’t come into consideration since a student’s experience here is determined by the faculty, all of whom are staying, and the student’s friends, none of whom are worried about Barbara Chase leaving.</p>
<p>Anyway, please, share with me your specific concerns! I’m happy to discuss, as always :)</p>
<p>I think it’s unrealistic to expect a student to post comments on an open forum that would validate any meaningful concern about his/her school. That’s ok, it’s the natural desire to defend a beloved institution and surely a good sign. I’d suggest PM’ing the students for more detailed thoughts. I raised a similar issue about the chilling of campus speech due to the Massachusetts bullying law and the autumn events at Groton. My reward was to be called a ■■■■■ by a brand new 9th grader, lol. Obviously I should not have expected a current student to acknowledge and address a serious and complex issue without the privacy of a PM or email exchange. Mea culpa!</p>
<p>Well, I’m hoping your concern over Andover’s headmaster change up is a little different from your concern over the suicide of a Grotonian bully…</p>
<p>Totally different issues, of course! The key point is that it’s unrealistic to expect a student to open up in a public forum about potential negatives. You’ll be hard pressed to find such a thing on this site, anyway. Every school and institution has actual or potential negatives, but those with a natural love for an institution are unlikely to be as frank and open in a public forum as privately. It reminds me of political shows where each side has a spin-meister up and their job is to never concede any negative point. Obviously that not a great forum for getting to the bottom of things. People are more candid privately. </p>
<p>On this issue, there is no doubt that PA will find a top quality head and also no doubt that there is risk and potential dislocation in any such change. That’s really all that anyone could expect to be acknowledged on a thread of this sort. Personally, I think the role of “Dean of Faculty” is more critical to the educational continuity of a school.</p>
<p>Yes! I think you’re right! All about checks and balances.</p>
<p>Talk about “lack of civility” TomTheCat - I find Kraordrawoh’s description of “autumn events” far more civil that your “strike across the bow” to a fellow school and a grieving family. We’ll save any questions we have for re-visit day, thank-you very much.</p>
<p>I apologize if I didn’t provide the info you wanted, but I was trying to help out and honestly wrote just everything I know/heard about. And you can still have a positive presence to students without talking to them individually. Hopefully this makes sense.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to see how people react when cornered.</p>
<p>Disappointingly, it seems… Uyyyy…</p>
<p>Now let’s not make this a “cat and mouse game” lolololololol</p>
<p>I won’t count on it. I read on the boards that Type A personalities don’t like to apologize. I have been reading quite a few Tom’s across the board comments. So I’m not sure if such all or nothing comments help one to form an accurate opinion of Andover.</p>