Passing the Torch: Tara Hofherr interviews Steve Farley

Tara
I'm honored to ask you these questions and hear your reflections. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I think a moment of inflection is an opportunity to look back, be present, and look ahead. With that in mind, when you think back on your time at Kingsley, what moments stand out as especially meaningful?

Steve
Oh, it's hard to narrow that down. One of my earliest impressions of this incredible place was when a student of Tim Caldwell's walked up to him in the hallway and said, "You're coming to my ballet recital this weekend, right?" I remember thinking, “Gosh, how is this guy going to answer?” He was like, "Yeah, of course, I'll be there." I soon found that our teachers' connections with students extend well beyond the classroom. They want to be part of their students' moments of celebration, and our students want their teachers there. That moment revealed to me what a special place this was.

I also remember standing in front of colleagues on my first day and sharing that this was the culmination of a 25-year dream to become a Head of School. I was unaware of what attaining that dream would entail—the hard work, unexpected challenges, and what it meant to hold an institution's future in my hands.

Tara
I remember that first all-staff. We had come out of a tumultuous time, and your presence felt very calm and grounded. How do you think about how you show up here?

Steve
By now, people know the work isn't about me, it's about the mission. I've been privileged to help reshape that. I show up ready to go, ready to respond, and to bring empathy and compassion to people doing the heavy lifting.

Stepping into leadership and establishing vision was a real point of growth for me—how to hold people in one hand and the vision of the institution in the other. 

I hope I bring some humor, and that I don't take this work for granted or too seriously, because schools should be joyful places.

Tara
Couldn't agree more! What brings you joy here? 

Steve
I had an awesome moment yesterday when two third graders came into my office, giggling, as students are wont to do. They told me they have been writing a comic strip with me in it. “And PS, you're going to get taken away by a UFO.” I love moments like that.

I loved at drop-off yesterday when a student insisted on having Josh hold the door open so he could say "see you later, alligator." And I could yell as he went down the street, "in a while, crocodile." It begins and ends with connecting with students. I love being present in those moments.

I also enjoy helping our administrators find ways to make themselves and their teams better. I like being a strategic partner. 

Tara
What do you hope people who work with you have felt and experienced with you as their leader?

Steve
I hope they feel lifted up, seen, and appreciated. I've been fortunate to work with extraordinary educators who are willing to do the right thing, even if it makes them anxious, and humble enough to take responsibility when it doesn't go well. Hopefully, I've helped people be better able to do that.

Tara
Yeah, you have definitely helped me. 

Steve
Right back at you. 

Tara
Certainly, there is a lot of joy and also occasionally a challenge or two. What is something you have learned through the challenges you've overcome?

Steve
Early on, a colleague and I were working through a difficult situation, and I was defensive about it. She reframed it for me, saying, “Think about it with a lens of curiosity.” It's taken practice to get there, but that has been a huge insight for me—approaching challenges with curiosity instead of defensiveness. 

Another mantra is that there's always a way forward. We are going to accomplish what we need to accomplish; we just don't yet know how. Who would have thought we’d emerge from COVID as a stronger community? 

And who would have thought we would buy this building? That was one of the first questions I asked the Board in my interviews: when are we going to buy the building? I got a very polite “The owners will never sell.” But we had to do it, so we did it, collectively. With the support of the Board and our community, we did the impossible. I don't traffic in “you can't do it.” 

Tara
Love it! What makes Kingsley distinctive?

Steve
It comes down to our outcomes—our graduates. They leave here believing they will have a positive impact on the world. You see it at Montessori Model United Nations, where our students confidently take on challenges that most adults say can’t be solved. So there's the product—the results of a Kingsley education—and then there are the people here. 

Very early on, I was struck by how our colleagues take care of each other, and that deepened during COVID, when people were hopping on the phone to get vaccination appointments on behalf of colleagues who were occupied teaching. The staff here love being together, and they really do take care of each other.

Finally, the relationships with families—how extraordinary for teachers to work with families over 10 years! The closeness that is formed by being in the same classroom over multiple years, and often over multiple children. As we said when we were talking about buying the building: we're a small town school in a world-class city.

Tara
What hopes do you have for Kingsley's future? 

Steve
I can't wait to see what you are going to do. I was excited to work with you when I arrived eight years ago, and eager to keep you here, because I saw how you love working with kids, and how deeply you believe in the potential of a child to positively impact the world. I was wowed by your ability to think strategically, always with students at the center of the work. So, I am excited to be handing over this role to you. I'm only sorry I won't be on campus to see it, but I will definitely be watching.

Tara
Well, I do hope you'll come back to campus from time to time.

Steve
Maybe to do a lunch duty or two. 

Tara
I would be more than happy to build you into the duty schedule. Lydia can get you on the sub list—it'll be great!

Steve
Anytime!

Tara
To that point about thinking of myself stepping into the role as head of school, what advice can you offer me?

Steve
You know everything you need to know. My biggest advice is to take care of yourself. Make sure that while you're serving everyone else, you're also doing what makes you happy. 

Tara
That is very good advice, and I will do my best. It has been a privilege and an honor to work alongside you. I am so grateful for your leadership of this school. You have made me feel very seen and recognized things in me that I didn’t always see in myself. So I am grateful, and I will do my very best. 

Steve
I know you will keep the ship upright. There's no doubt about that. My gratitude goes right back to you. Few people have been as present for me when I needed affirmation, encouragement, and candor to become the leader this school needed. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do. It’s going to be awesome. “Once a lion, always a lion.” Of course, I’m not wearing the suit, but yes.

Tara
Well, I’m not either anymore!

Steve Farley will conclude his tenure at Kingsley on June 30, 2026. On behalf of our school community: Thank you, Mr. Farley!