Darryl Ford's Remarks to Penn Charter Faculty

The following is an excerpt of remarks Darryl Ford made to colleagues at a Nov. 14 faculty and staff meeting to announce his appointment.

During childhood days when others dreamt of becoming doctors or lawyers or firemen, I, believe it or not, always wanted to be head of a K - 12th grade Quaker school. I think this came from the absolute love that I had for my own time at a Friends school, the incredible teachers who not only taught me but also became my friends, and the love of learning that was instilled in me. When I first attended Friends, I could not fathom that school could be such a marvelous place. What I found was an intellectually vibrant community that embraced me. Most often, students become excited about their own education at the college level. This is the place where they most often learn how to learn. This is the place where they make their life-long friends. For me, all this occurred in a K - 12 Quaker school. I never missed a day of school from the time I enrolled in fifth grade until my June graduation in twelfth grade. I felt fortunate for my education and remain indebted to my parents for making my time with Friends possible.

Today, it is with great excitement that I think about becoming Penn Charter's next head of school. So much incredible work prior to and during Dr. Ball's three decades of leadership makes Penn Charter an excellent institution - so much excellent work that one could wrongly presume that there is not much to be done in the upcoming years. The irony of good work, though, is that there is always more of it to be done, more progress to be made, more forward thinking to occur. I am excited to work with you all - my talented colleagues.

My excitement and desire to tackle these and other issues, however, are not without a bit of trepidation. Founded in 1689 by William Penn ... a distinguished faculty and staff ... the distinguished leadership of Richard Mott Jones, John Gummere, Wilbur Braxton, and, yes, Earl Ball. From Penn himself to Earl Ball, Penn Charter's history, its successes and its current strength all instill humility.

With all this having been said, during my first year as head, I hope to spend much time focusing on the lives and experiences of our students in each of the divisions. In addition, I hope to spend much time listening and learning - being open to the continuing revelation of insight that is assured to us all and sought after in this school.

I hope that my educational background, ideas about the future, and openness to listening and learning coupled with my spiritual grounding will make me a successful head of Penn Charter. Because of the leadership of our overseers, Dr. Ball's remarkable tenure, our talented faculty, administrators, and staff, gifted students, and impressive resources, Penn Charter's future is bright, indeed. Just as it was my childhood dream to head a Quaker school, it will be my privilege to lead and be part of the William Penn Charter School as it enters a new era of promise. Thank you.