Marin Prep Head of School Quit

[thorndike]

Anyone know why the Marin Prep Head of School quit suddenly last week? What's going on at that school?

[doughramy]

Really? I can't believe they have a head of school turnover again. We've been looking at the school so this is a definite shock! I just saw it on the school website:

Dr. Patrick Gaffney will wind down his term at Marin Prep on Friday, February 10, 2012 for personal and professional reasons. It was mutually agreed that Dr. Gaffney’s recent resignation be effective immediately. We wish Patrick and his family much happiness in their next venture.

Something scandalous must have happened for this to happen so suddenly and immediately. I'd love to know what happened too.

[caseyl]

Hi there, I am a parent at Marin Prep and would be happy to talk to any one about our experience there. We truly love the school and while we were disappointed that the head of school hire didn't work out, it doesn't change the incredibly nurturing and excellent academic environment there. Our son runs to hug his teacher everyday and says goodbye with a "te quiero" - I love you. I am completely amazed by how quickly he learned to read once starting at the school is now doing addition, subtraction, word problems in math in Jr. kindergarten. The combination of thoughtful teaching techniques and small class size is very unique. He is getting a huge amount of spanish exposure and it is being integrated very professionally into his classroom and afterschool program. The school has engaged the best private school recruiting firm to find our next head of school which I am confident will result in a top notch hire that will be the best fit for the school. I do not know how to exchange personal information here, but again if anyone would like to chat further about it please let me know! Casey Lynch

[edsanfran]

Casey - thank you for your offer and it sounds like your son is thriving at the school. I personally think that the only way to really assess a school is to look at the 5th/6th graders and above, the curriculum and how well the children are learning. I don't know a single parent or child who has been unhappy at any pre-K in the city.

[alicroy]

I know I'm in the minority but I am one such parent whose child is not 100% happy at our current school. We're hoping that we get good news over the weekend on a possible alternative but will be crossing our fingers. While I agree that the middle school years are important because they prepare your child for high school applications, I think there's still a lot to be learned about a school in their K-4th grades - how structured/progressive it is, how it encourages your child to take risks, how it helps them develop as an outstanding citizen and so on. Personally, I wish I could have read more personal experiences like the one casey shared when I went through the process.