Faculty professional development is integral to every school, and Kent School is no exception. Each year, about twenty Kent teachers look for further education in the form of professional degrees or workshops, in the hopes of bringing back newly found skills and lessons back for the students.

One such teacher is Mr. Stewart, head of the theatre department. He has attended the annual Broadway Teacher Workshop for the past six years. The workshop is a 3-day program that gathers theatre teachers from all over the country. On top of seminars and classes, the program also includes watching four new Broadway shows, a good way for Mr. Stewart to keep up with the most recent shows. The workshop also provides an opportunity for Mr. Stewart to meet many professionals in the acting industry, some of whom have even come to Kent to give talks or help with production. Many seminars are also directly applicable to the productions at Kent, including budget costume making and directing Shakespeare.

Dean Kelderman chose to further her teaching by pursuing a professional degree in Ministry and Educational Leadership. She reads and writes reflective papers on Kent as an institution throughout the year and attends a three week camp during the summer. Dean Kelderman comments that she is pursuing her degree to “help understand the students more” and to connect to the best part about Kent School: “the pluralistic community.”

Mrs. Benjamin and Mrs. Zimmerman of the language department attended the American Council of Foreign Language in Nashville this fall: a large conference with over 3000 different high school and colleges in attendance. The conference lasted two days and had information booths covering various topics; some of the more interesting topics were tips on teaching AP language classes and being more gender sensitive in foreign languages. Mrs. Benjamin also met with textbook vendors, college professors and AP committee members, who collectively helped her shape her courses to better help students prepare for college-level classes and AP exams.

To promote faculty development, Kent covers two-thirds of the cost of tuition. Mr. Stewart says that it is one of the best parts about Kent as he has been in schools where there are little to no assistance for teachers pursuing further education. Mrs. Russell, the Dean of Faculty, said she is very proud of the faculty’s progress. Since 2005, the percentage of faculty members with degrees has risen from 53% to 69%: testament to Kent’s commitment to higher education.