Will Campbell, Founding Head of Franklin School in New Jersey, on offering a $60k education for half the price
Another guest to join us from across the pond, William Campbell is the Founding Head of Franklin School in New Jersey – a bold new private school that operates at the half the cost its competitors on the other side of the Hudson river. Raised in Sydney, Will's career in education spans teaching, coaching and senior leadership in Australia, the UK and now the US. In his role at Franklin, he is part head, part entrepreneur and part CEO, building a high-performing school from scratch within the innovative Dwight Schools network.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Henry Faber, Will reflects on what it's really like to build a school from the ground up. He talks about launching in and amongst NYC's infamous, ultra-competitive private school scene, and why getting the culture right – from trust in staff to parent expectations – is as important as the academics. From rethinking how schools prepare students for tertiary education to carving out time for teacher development, Will is candid about what he's learning along the way.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Will explains the secret of how Franklin can charge half the fees of other top NYC competitors.
He discusses the freedom of starting a school from scratch and the importance of a strong team culture.
He talks about the pressures facing students in the US, saying that kids are "profile-building" from 9th grade but not given the correlating skills.
Will discusses why Franklin sets aside 100 minutes of professional development time for teachers and how they make it work in a busy timetable.
As an Aussie, he is candid on the US education market and warns against the sustained pressure for an early age.
His unpopular opinion is on phone use and why schools can't be held solely responsible for policy and behaviour.
Finally, Will shares why he personally interviews nearly every prospective family and why it matters so much.