Jimmy and I recently opened our home to welcome former members of Proctor’s professional community. We wanted to meet the people that we are regularly hearing about, thank them for building such a strong culture, and celebrate the legacy they have passed down to those who are now carrying the torch. These remarkable people are the culture keepers, mentors whose influence continues to ripple through the lives of those who now lead, teach, and care for our students.
It was one of the most heartwarming evenings we have had at Proctor. This remarkable group of people welcomed us with open arms, eager to share their love for the school and their excitement for its future. Some of our current professional community were there too, some of them alumni, who had been taught and mentored by this same group. The sense of connection across generations was powerful, a living example of Proctor’s enduring spirit.
Defying the National Trend
Across the country, schools are struggling with teacher shortages and declining retention. A recent report from the Learning Policy Institute found that roughly one in eight teaching positions nationwide is either unfilled or filled by someone without full certification. At Proctor, our story is different. Job postings for the next school year receive dozens of qualified applications. Our professional community stays. People commit. They find joy and purpose in their work, even when it is hard. I have been asking myself why that is and how we can ensure it stays that way.
Ownership, Autonomy, and Passion
Our evening gathering last week helped me better understand and more clearly think about how to hold on to our enviable position of having such dedicated, caring, long-serving educators at Proctor. There is a unique sense of ownership and autonomy here, an understanding that everyone has a hand in shaping the Proctor experience.
As broad as our program is, so, too, is the diversity of passions among our adults. They design programs, teach one another, evolve what they inherit, and make it their own. You can trace the lineage of innovation from the people who built Mountain Classroom, the kayak team, or the boat building class to those who continue to reinvent those programs today.
This is not just a workplace; it is a living laboratory of shared purpose. Passion is contagious here, and students feel it. They see adults doing work that matters to them, and they jump on board. That is why our students are so engaged, because they are surrounded by adults who love what they do.
Our Responsibility Moving Forward
Sustaining this kind of culture takes care and investment. We have work to do as a school to ensure we are honoring the good work of our educators through better housing, competitive compensation, and robust professional development opportunities. These factors serve as a critical foundation on which we can continue to build a remarkable professional community.
Even more important is the human foundation: continuing to find passionate people, connecting what drives them to what we are doing for students, and giving them the autonomy to feed their interests. That is how Proctor will remain a place that goes against the trend, a place where great people come, stay, and thrive.
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