Compass Founding Director Returns to the Helm

As Compass School enters its 12^th year, Founding Director Dr. Rick Gordon returns to the leadership role. Gordon will succeed Nelson Richter who served as Executive Director this past year and is retiring due to health reasons.

Gordon’s arrival signals a recommitment to the school’s founding principles of rigorous learning, belief in the success of every child, active student involvement in the leadership of the school, and strong  learning connections with the community.

Since leaving Compass six years ago, Gordon has served as Co-Director of the Center for School Climate and Learning, taught principal leadership courses for Antioch University and New England College, consulted with schools throughout the US and traveled around the world with his family. He is currently working on a book for Corwin Press entitled Transforming School Climate and Learning: The Key to School Safety, Student Motivation, and Academic Learning.

This is an exciting time at Compass as the school builds on a now well established program dedicated to creating strong students and committed community members.

“It is great to return when we have so many effective structures in place,” comments Dr. Gordon. “From the strong curriculum to student portfolios to the many special learning experiences such as Project Week, Community Service Winter Term, Senior Projects, and the Junior Class International Trip, Compass has created a balance that challenges and supports each student to be successful in college and life beyond the high school walls.”

While Compass has demonstrated great success over the years, with over 90% of its graduates going on to college, this transition has been an ideal opportunity for the school to look at further improvements. Through meetings of teachers, students and parents since the end of the school year, some noteworthy changes have been made to increase rigor, consistency, and clarity in the school program.

Last week, more than a dozen students joined with the Compass teachers for two days of planning for the coming year. All agreed that many of the learning experiences at Compass were extraordinarily challenging, rewarding, and often life transforming. The 11^th grade trip to Ecuador, Filmmaking Class, Winter Term service in North Carolina, Giving Day, and the Urban Exchange Program were all cited as powerful learning for students.

All agreed the school should strive to assure this level of learning on a more consistent basis. Through a week of concentrated work, the teachers and students made some insightful changes in the schedule and curriculum that will increase consistency and up the rigor of the overall school program.

Assistant Director Eric Rhomberg explains, “One of the unique advantages of a small school is the ability to be more flexible and innovative. For example, we will have a slightly different schedule in each semester. In the fall, the high school will have more traditional hour-long “core courses” in Science, Social Studies, English, along with their year-long classes in Math and Spanish. The second semester will follow the same schedule Compass has used for years, with longer blocks for Humanities and Science, allowing for more in-depth courses and electives that touch upon multiple disciplines.”

Another change includes instituting a “seminar” period each Wednesday where students meet by class to support grade specific needs. Seniors will use this time for College and Senior Project Planning, juniors for international trip development, and ninth and tenth graders will work on Leadership Development. The middle school, which has the staffing to control their own schedule, can use this time to enhance their program around the evolving needs of the 7^th and 8^th graders.

Required after school exploratories, intended to expand student learning through exposure to the arts, music, physical activity, and other well rounded live experiences, are being modified to increase focus. Based on a proposal generated by students, the offerings will be limited to two day “intensives” that offer continuity and higher expectations for student learning. 

These and other changes, Gordon says, will markedly increase consistency and intentionality at Compass. As he wrote in a recent letter to Compass families, “I am confident these changes will facilitate more of the high quality and purposeful learning for which Compass is known.”

Matt Peake, Compass Board President, says everyone at Compass is excited about the coming school year. “Rick provided strong leadership and direction as the Founding Director. He has a clear vision for the purpose of every aspect of the Compass program. Just in the meetings last week, it is great to see the level of focus and energy from the faculty and students in looking ahead to next year.”

Compass continues to accept applications for the fall from students in grades 7-12. More detailed information about the school is available at www.compass-school.org.