Mr. Farley Attends Heads of Schools Fellowship Program

Steve Farley, Kingsley’s Head of School, was accepted to the thirty-first Heads of Schools Fellowship Program at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center. One of 22 heads of school from around the world to receive this fellowship, Steve traveled to NYC for two weeks to learn, collaborate, and think strategically about leadership. 

“I am grateful to be part of a community that supports my participation in such a unique professional development experience at Teacher College's Klingenstein Center, the only graduate school in the country dedicated exclusively to advancing leadership in independent schools. It was exciting, nurturing, and inspiring to be learning alongside such a supportive cohort with a wide range of experiences.”

Participants hailed from Thailand, Canada, and across the United States, and attended research-informed classes and experiences that invited deep learning (and unlearning), reflection, and collaboration. Steve focused on a variety of topics, including listening leadership, inciting joy for self and community, and embracing creativity as a leadership capacity and strategy. 

Steve’s readings included excerpts from: 

• Annie Murphy Paul's The Extended Mind
• Race Sounds: The Art of Listening in African American Literature by Nicole Brittingham Furlonge 
• Ross Gay's Inciting Joy and The Book of Delights
• John Dewey's Creative Democracy
• James Baldwin's A Talk To Teachers

Along with his cohort, Steve visited local schools and museums, cooked a meal at the Institute of Culinary Education, saw Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway, attended lectures, went on sound walks, met with Klingenstein graduate students, and used Legos to explore creativity with the Agile framework. 

“Agile is the ability to create and respond to change. It is a way of dealing with, and ultimately succeeding in, an uncertain and turbulent environment. It’s really about thinking through how you can understand what’s going on in the environment that you’re in today, identify what uncertainty you’re facing, and figure out how you can adapt to that as you go along.” 

Additionally, Steve dove into subjects like high impact communication, governance, DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice), global citizenship, and climate change action in schools. 

“It was exhilarating to be back in the classroom experiencing life as a student once again. I eagerly anticipate sharing back what I have learned about creative leadership to Kingsley to strengthen and advance our school. And, I experience not a small bit of satisfaction upon making my way around the Big Apple on my own!”

For Steve’s final project, he prepared and presented a leadership statement answering the question, “What is most important to me as a leader and as I lead?,” and a strategic plan for creativity that answered, “What do I intend to cultivate at school through my leadership as I draw on my two-week focus on creativity here at the Klingenstein Center?” 

Congratulations, Steve, for completing this exciting fellowship and joining the Klingenstein Center’s global network of alumni! You can read more about the program here.