The AFS of My 17-Year-Old Hopes and Dreams

As clerk of AFS School Committee, it brings me great joy to bring forth the Strategic Plan for 2022-2027. Whoa! As an Abington Friends School alumna, it feels bizarre to write that. I was a student at AFS from 1995 to 2002 and during that time there was a talented faculty and staff, robust educational programming, transformative arts and athletic experiences, and more. However, in my heart I knew something was missing. As a lifelong Quaker, I felt that the school was Quaker in name but not as Quaker in practice. In fact, I was so concerned that 17-year-old me went to members of the administration to protest aspects of the school I felt were in opposition to Quaker values.

In 2014, I joined the School Committee, hoping that my presence and voice could bring more Quaker “groundedness” to the school. I quickly learned that Rich and the administration had greatly transformed the school since my graduation 12 years prior. I was stunned by the way the school had and continues to evolve, and could not imagine a better school to choose to send our children. Today, AFS feels deeply rooted in Quakerism and as co-clerk of the Strategic Planning Committee, I can see those well-established roots reflected throughout the Strategic Plan. 

Alongside an amazing group of faculty, administrators, parents, and School Committee members who made up the Strategic Planning Committee, we imagined the ways that our incredible school could continue to evolve and improve. We solicited input and ideas from across the community, including alumni and current students and parents. Over the course of two unexpected and challenging years, Rich and the administration have transformed a somewhat disjointed conglomeration of incredible ideas into a bold, well-developed and solid vision and plan for the future of Quaker Education. The plan takes into account the ways that our world has transformed over the past few years.

The Fourth Century Center, outlined in the plan, meets the needs of the AFS school community in a myriad ways, supporting students directly through social emotional learning and student support, but also helping parents and educators more effectively support young people. A focus on experiential learning meets the needs of today’s students. In an age where facts can be found at our fingertips, discovering the world through firsthand, transformative experiences is essential to engage and teach children of all ages. And, central to everything the school is doing, we focus on meeting the needs of our deeply diverse student body, and ensuring that every child feels a strong sense of belonging and can fully reach their potential. 

Under Rich and the administration’s leadership, and alongside an incredible group of School Committee members who are deeply dedicated to the school, I am so pleased to see the ways in which AFS has grown since I graduated 20 years ago. That “something” that 17-year-old me felt was missing has been found and it now feels infused into the ethos of AFS. And now, we must commit, as a school community, to expand upon that growth. I am confident that this Strategic Plan positions AFS as innovators in Quaker education, and I am honored to be the new clerk of the School Committee, charged with helping to usher it into reality.

Go well, friends,