New head for Sidwell Friends School

[Anonymous]

What have people heard about him?

[Anonymous]

Good guy, well-liked as Upper School principal and as a teacher before that in his prior stint, and very successful in his current Head job at Wilmington Friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What have people heard about him?

Just curious....are you a current parent, prospective parent, or curious bystander?

[Anonymous]

Very highly respected in Quaker education community, and more broadly in the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools).

[Anonymous]

Same kind of accolades I heard regarding Farquhar. LOL - we'll see how soon the parents turn on him.

[Anonymous]

is it the parents who ran Farhquar out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same kind of accolades I heard regarding Farquhar. LOL - we'll see how soon the parents turn on him.

Funny, only in that you don't know what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

He is arriving at a good time. The college admissions from Sidwell were excellent this year, and parents are very pleased with the new college counseling program. There are a good group of kids in US, and I am guessing the teachers will be pleased with his selection. So the school is in generally good shape. Let's hope he has smoother sailing than his predecessor.

[Anonymous]

It was the teachers who ran Farquhar out. He was a good Quaker. That didn't go down well with teachers who think the high school experience should be more like a training program for a medical intern or an investment bank.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was the teachers who ran Farquhar out. He was a good Quaker. That didn't go down well with teachers who think the high school experience should be more like a training program for a medical intern or an investment bank.

It was far, far more complicated than that (and I disagree with your analogy to demanding pre-professional or training programs). Tom Farquahar is a good man, and I am sure that everyone in the school community wishes him well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was the teachers who ran Farquhar out. He was a good Quaker. That didn't go down well with teachers who think the high school experience should be more like a training program for a medical intern or an investment bank.

It was far, far more complicated than that (and I disagree with your analogy to demanding pre-professional or training programs). Tom Farquahar is a good man, and I am sure that everyone in the school community wishes him well.

I certainly wish him well. He is a good and decent man, and I, personally, will miss him. I wish him much luck and happiness in his new position.

[Anonymous]

The board acted pretty much in secret. Not really the way I thought consensus was supposed to work.

[Anonymous]

Very sorry to see Tom go, but very excited for the new Head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The board acted pretty much in secret. Not really the way I thought consensus was supposed to work.

No board can deliberate on sensitive personnel matters in the public square.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very sorry to see Tom go, but very excited for the new Head.

Agree very much.