Ensights Magazine

David Braemer mask

A Message from the Head of School: Opportunity

David Braemer, Head of School
Mr. Braemer updates the community about the tremendous opportunities that present themselves during such challenging times.
About five years ago, I was at a national conference for Heads of School and one of the keynote speakers was Scott Cowen, President Emeritus of Tulane. Cowen had recently stepped down as President of the university, and the focus of his talk was what he had learned from leading Tulane when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. While it was hard to fathom all of the challenges that Cowen—and others—faced in managing through a natural disaster of that magnitude, one of the key takeaways from his talk was the importance of finding the opportunities for improvement that crises can create.

Not surprisingly, I have found myself reflecting on Cowen’s message quite often in recent months. With the complexity of our current societal situation only seeming to intensify with each passing week, we are all faced with new and different challenges. As a school, we are striving not only to respond to these challenges in ways that meet the immediate needs of our students but also to seek out the possibilities to become an even better school in the long run.

For example, as part of our ongoing efforts to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, our faculty have had to develop remote teaching skills. Their ability to do this as well as they have is a credit to their commitment to supporting their students during this difficult time. Meeting these short-term needs also have long-term benefits, as is the case with the new capacities for leveraging technology that the faculty have been developing in recent months. These skills enhance their ability to meet the varied needs of their students, regardless of context, which will result in even more effective teaching and learning going forward.

The painful events of overt racism that sparked social unrest this summer represent another crisis for our society, one that will ultimately help to make us better as a school. While a number of initiatives tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion were already underway as a result of our recent accreditation process through the Southern Association of Independent Schools, there is now an even greater awareness of the need for these efforts. This has not only added momentum to our efforts in this area, but it has also led to the creation of additional initiatives, all of which will make Ensworth a more inclusive community. While there is still a great deal of work to be done, this summer has served as an important catalyst as we strive to be a school where each individual feels welcomed, empowered, and safe.

In many ways, Ensworth is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the opportunities that crises create by virtue of our commitment to the Core Skills, and in particular, those of collaboration and communication. When I consider the tools necessary to work through the types of major challenges that we are all facing, helping our students to develop these two skills is critical. The ability to work together effectively to solve problems and the recognition of the need to engage different perspectives in the process are essential to achieving successful outcomes. As for communication, this is an important two-way street that requires the ability to express oneself in a thoughtful manner as well as to listen to others with a similar degree of consideration. Intentionally developing these skills is essential to preparing our students to have the type of impact that will make our society a better place for everyone.
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Red Gables Campus (K–8)

Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 383-0661

Frist Campus (9–12)

Nashville, TN 37221
(615) 301-5400
Ensworth is a coeducational, kindergarten through twelfth grade, independent day school.