Head of School

What Would Emma Do?

The following article by Head of School Trudy Hall appeared in the winter 2007 issue of EMMA, The Bulletin of Emma Willard School.

hether we agree or not that the youth of America are unprepared to compete in the global economy, we know that each day a plethora of task forces and foundations are jumping into the fray with dire predictions, recommendations, and mandates. I believe that American high schools must reinvent themselves. Our students need to fully understand the power of technology; they need to understand the importance of being fluent in more than one language; they need to develop a global perspective. As we look to the future of American education, I am energized by the significant discourse, inside Emma Willard and out, over what reinvention means for curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment.

No Child Left Behind, with its focus on competency, addresses the bare minimum but neglects the unfortunate reality that American students are falling behind. The Advanced Placement® curriculum is unwieldy, but what might take its place? Can we rectify the educational disparity between “the haves and the have nots” and the socioeconomic reverberations such disparity creates? Can we improve a college selection process that is skewed by marketing, driven by economic agendas, and often leaves college-bound students and their parents bewildered, beleaguered, and bereft?

Most people searching for solutions to the troublesome educational crises of our times would do well to look back to how the innovators of American academia resolved similar dilemmas. At Emma Willard, we are fortunate that our mentor is one of the greatest pioneers in American education.

This is the now familiar story. In the early 19th century a doctor from Middlebury, Vermont, happily shared his extensive library with his young bride. Prevented from attending classes at the prestigious Middlebury College because of her gender, and hungry for additional intellectual stimulation, an idea took shape in this energetic scholar’s mind: what might the world look like if women received the same education as men? We know what happened to that bold idea. In fits and starts, and against considerable opposition, it produced nothing short of an educational revolution.

Because our nation is in need of another educational revolution, I find myself thinking often about Emma Hart Willard—a woman whose persistence created unimagined possibilities—and the innovative, entrepreneurial ways in which she forged her vision. She recognized a social problem of immense proportion. She thought deeply about sound solutions. She shared her vision with all who might be intrigued and supportive. She created a venue in which her novel approach might be modeled. She invited others to see this model’s success in action. She continuously sought strategies to increase the sphere of her own influence and the influence of her experiment— the Troy Female Seminary.

What would Emma see in 2007 if she were looking at how her school is addressing the issues of this day and time? Our list is substantive, and includes:

• application of technology in smart, useful ways to enhance the relational aspect of learning and ensure girls are technologically literate
• launch of a global perspectives initiative that permits our students to understand international women’s issues
• introduction of a student-designed, student-led community service program that encourages experiential learning
• addition of Chinese to our language offerings
• a mathematics curriculum that teaches through the use of collaborative problem-solving
• emphasis on writing as a communication skill that will never go out of vogue
• introduction of a new seminar program that promotes emotional intelligence

If Emma were with us today, I believe she would give us high marks, but I also think she would challenge us to do more in creating the best ways of educating girls and to share that knowledge with the media, public officials, and other educational institutions. I think she would expect us to provide solid evidence of the success of our methodology through nationally understood measures. I know she would encourage us to continue to be bold and good, innovative and traditional, daring and smart.

In this moment, when the chaos and clamor of the educational debate roar with much chatter but result in little action, Emma Willard School is taking a stand. We will continue to create the pilot programs that strike the elusive balance between core knowledge, essential analytical abilities, and superb communication skills. We will share these gems with those in a position to carry the seeds far and wide. To the girls of the world, we say, come here to learn and we will send you out with new power as women of sophisticated intelligence who know what it means to be citizens in a global economy.

Like Emma herself, we have no intention of wringing our hands about what can’t be fixed in today’s world. Instead, using our mentor’s model, we see the uncertainty of our times clearly, we are responding boldly, and we will do a better job of expanding our sphere of influence.

To all who care about education today, we invite you to explore, debate, create, and prove the educational models that are right for our time. Then help us stand as an example to others who may lack our imagination and verve.

I believe this is what Emma would do.