Update from the Board of Trustees | Fall 2024

Magdalena Vial, Chair, Headwaters Board of Trustees
See more about Headwaters School's strategic priorities, new members, and more in this update.
 
 

Dear Headwaters Community,

We hope the first semester has been full of meaning and joy for your student(s) and your family. The board has been engaged and present at many school events, and we are proud of the work happening across the campuses. As we work with Ted and his team on fundraising, I’m also delighted to announce that 100% of the board has given to the annual fund, along with 92% of faculty and staff. On behalf of the board, I hope you’ll consider joining us in supporting the school over and above tuition.

During this first semester, the Board has been engaged in setting strategic priorities for the 2024-2025 school year, and with a vision and plan for the next three years. We have worked closely with Ted and the leadership team to develop measurable management goals for this year, and you can see a high-level summary of those below. In addition to the progress on strategic priorities and management goals, we write to share some changes in the composition and organization of the Board since last spring. 

Following three years of service on the board, Allan Cole needed to step down from his role as chair and as a trustee. We were sorry to lose Allan but his professional responsibilities, his family, and the development of his own non-profit took precedence.

As I begin my second term on the board, I humbly accepted the board’s nomination to serve as chair, and I am joined on the Executive Committee by Keith Martin, Vice Chair and parent of a student on the Creek Campus, Anand Anbalagan, Treasurer and parent of children on the Springs Campus, and Brian Szymczak who will serve as Secretary and has a child on the Creek Campus.

Thanks to our relationship with The New Philanthropists, we have added Jean Yang to our board. We also have the privilege of having Stacey E. Jordan begin her term as a trustee a few months ago.

Here are some of the Board highlights from the first semester:

  • Completed two four-hour strategic planning sessions, developing a forward-looking strategy and identifying our aspirations in three critical areas:
    • Academic Excellence – To guide and support Headwaters towards defining its vision of Academic Excellence and processes/procedures that honor students’ whole selves, in the classroom and in our larger communities, resulting in families choosing Headwaters for its ability to build their child’s/children’s autonomy, character, and integrity. The administration will continue to focus on quality and consistency of program, along with student and family retention.
    • Faculty Recruitment and Retention – To become the employer of choice in the Austin education space, we will create a community that continuously fosters belonging, rewarding work, and professional growth. During this year, we will focus on competitive faculty/staff compensation and greater parity and equity, along with understanding additional factors impacting faculty retention.
    • Campus Facilities – Provide a clear roadmap to develop a Campus Master Plan that allows the School culture and academic program to thrive. We will continue to focus on clarifying campus capacity and the intersection between quality of space and quality of program.
  • Engaged with equity advocates (faculty and admin) on the River Campus to identify board-support opportunities to promote equity initiatives across campuses. 
  • Celebrated our founders alongside some of you in our best 60s attire. 
  • Conducted interviews with each of the four Academic Directors – Susie Demarest, Tim Reilly, Terra Lynch, and Avé Luke-Simpson – in order to better understand the challenges and opportunities they face.

It is my honor to work with my fellow trustees to serve this community, and we are very excited about the ongoing efforts to grow and engage more deeply. Please feel free to connect with your trustees when you see us around campus or at school events. We love to talk about Headwaters and we want to hear about your experience. 

On behalf of the board of trustees, we wish you and yours a restorative break next week,


Magdalena Vial
Chair, Headwaters Board of Trustees
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As a 501(c)3 non-profit school, Headwaters School does not discriminate because of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other classes protected by federal, state, or local law in its admissions, financial aid, hiring, or board membership processes.