NAIS - Member Voices: A Q&A with Anne M. Glass

Anne M. Glass
Head of School
Purnell School
Pottersville, NJ
Photo by Tehran Tynes

This is an excerpt from the NAIS Member Voices podcast, which was recorded and adapted before Purnell School announced (as this issue was going to press) that it would close in June 2021 after 57 years.

What drew you to education?

When I was younger, my big dream was to be a broadcast journalist. But as a high schooler, I didn’t have a mentor to help me see a path in that direction. So I studied economics because I thought that was extremely practical, then I started my career in investment banking. But it was the realization that running financial institutions and doing valuations of credit card portfolios didn’t hold my interest, and I needed to find more meaning in my work.

Going into education really began as an intellectual investigation because I had always been fascinated with learning and cognition and development. And so I enrolled at Teachers College at Columbia University as a nonmatriculated student and ended up in Margaret Jo Shepherd’s class (the cofounder of the learning disabilities program there); she had encouraged me to apply, and I did. I stayed for two master’s degrees. And then I also pursued my doctorate.

I started thinking about what a truly holistic, fully integrated, supportive program could look like. I had the opportunity to lead a task force to reconceptualize what student support could be from kindergarten through 12th grade. And that really inspired me to think, what if I could have the opportunity to make it happen?

What drew you to work with girls with learning differences?

That’s what I consider my calling—having worked for more than 20 years as a learning specialist and a teacher. I’ve often had the experience of seeing girls’ abilities and potential underestimated. And I don’t think that’s fair.

I try to support those students and advocate for them to receive not only the supports that they need—whether that’s skill-building or remediation—or the intellectual stimulation to keep them engaged in school and to keep up their self-esteem. So that by the time they get to middle and high school, they are ready and prepared to engage in stimulating curricula that will lead them on a path to their dreams.

I’ve always known the value of single sex education—I went to a women’s college. Here at Purnell, it’s a can-do place in which we provide opportunities for girls to try new things. It’s a place where every student can look around and see that the organizations on campus are all led by other young women. The messaging is so powerful because it says that no opportunity is off limits. If she can do it, why not me?

How do you prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion?

In 2018, I hired Purnell’s first director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Clyde Beverly, a counseling psychologist. In the spring of 2019, we engaged the entire community in composing the school’s first diversity statement. The board voted on it, and it's now part of our mission and value statements. It has become part of our handbook.

The racial reckoning that gained momentum last spring is truly a movement that hopefully will lead to real structural change both nationally and within our schools. Like many schools, Purnell had the hard learning experience of reading Instagram posts where current students and alums shared their actual truths. That kicked off a series of Zoom conversations with Dr. Beverly and any alums who wanted to join, both people of color as well as allies. It hit me that their experiences here had been ones of trauma as opposed to education and sisterhood. Out of these conversations came a commitment to what we will do going forward. I want those alums to feel like they’re part of this community and make sure they have a voice in developing our action plan for the future.

We did a lot of research and listening and involved consultants to come up with an anti-racism statement and an action plan that includes three separate areas: leadership, engagement, and most important, accountability. This is not a moment that we’re willing to wait to pass; this is an opportunity for real structural change that is meant to make our community more equitable and inclusive.

Throughout last fall, I worked with our leadership team and a newly formed student group, Black Students Matter Purnell, to compose additions to our handbook that articulate our intolerance for acts of discrimination on campus. I respect their commitment and activism to accelerate these necessary changes. My takeaway is to make sure I am committed to listening to our community members and continuing to push for structural change in our policies and our ethics.

What keeps you up at night?

This has been a time that’s caused all heads of school to become masters of everything—epidemiology, remote learning, state and federal law. That’s where the stress is. And then on top of that, remembering that this is a community, and holding a community together means attending to those social and emotional needs, and recognizing where we sit as a school in the greater context of our region and our nation. But right now, it’s about holding our community together in the midst of a confusing and uncertain time.

How have you used your financial background in your role today?

I have private mortgage lending experience, and in the past few years, we executed a private loan secured by part of our property. And I was able to write the mortgage and note and guide that process.

Last spring, I quickly became an expert in the CARES Act and the federal assistance that businesses and schools were offered. We took advantage of the Small Business Administration’s PPP loan, which also helped our cash flow. It sustained us so we did not have to furlough any of our employees.

How are you approaching financial sustainability during this time of uncertainty?

In addition to the PPP loan, we received a grant from a private foundation to support leadership opportunities for our students.

We intentionally refocused our marketing techniques and engagement to reach a national audience and have much higher attendance for our events. We now are seeing a much broader interest from other major metropolitan areas. The ability to use the same communication tools as schools 10 times our size has in many ways put us on a level playing field when it comes to spreading the awareness of our mission, our Learning and Wellness® program, and the strong outcomes that we see in our graduates.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

I started reading a lot of McKinsey & Company research, and the notion of businesses remaining mission-consistent, community-centered, and data-driven—I keep that as a mantra. And that really has informed every decision that we had to make.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I am very lucky to have a group of women with whom I went to college. They work in all different fields but are the most intelligent sounding board and source of motivation. Also, I am thankful that I have the confidence of my board of trustees, and I’m grateful for a super-competent leadership team at the school. At the end of the day, making a home-cooked dinner for my kids, that makes it all real and makes me feel grounded.

What are you reading or watching right now?

As an escape, I’ve been diving into historical fiction series on Netflix and Amazon Prime. I watched Trotsky, The Spy, and The English Game. Last summer, all of our faculty read How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi, which I recommend. Now I’m reading What Tech Calls Thinking: An Inquiry Into the Intellectual Bedrock of Silicon Valley by Adrian Daub.

Listen to the full interview with Anne M. Glass on the NAIS Member Voices podcast. Download it now at iTunes, SoundCloud, TuneIn, or Stitcher. Rate, review, and subscribe to hear a new episode each month.

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